Comical Relief is a website where aspiring comic writers are encouraged to share their works and ideas with the world! It is also a place where users are able to vent about their life experiences through the use of comics and poetry, and find others who relate to them, which is why the motto is "JUST DRAW IT OUT!"
MEET OUR MASCOT: SMILEY!
The smiley face is an iconic symbol used throughout the world. It is a familiar and friendly face we are all familiar with; It is the simplest representation of our most joyous facial expression. It is the icon used to represent the brand.
On the right is the site's mascot, Smiley; a shapeless blob donning a smiley-face mask. He is a friendly creature that came to life from a random doodle, and he is here to help artists express their ideas!
This is Comical Relief's official style guide that I referred to when designing the website. I wanted a very simple and consistent color palette, so the focus was more directed towards user submissions than the website itself.
This is my first draft of the mock-up for the website's homepage. I wanted to emulate the typical manila folder used to organize files and notes. The navigation above simulates labels made from an embossed label maker, and each header is framed in a sticky-note.
The homepage features a Creator Spotlight, which showcases a creator's best piece based on its views and likes. It is updated daily, so anyone has the chance of getting featured!
The image shown may either be a stand-alone piece of artwork, or the cover image of a comic with multiple pages. I used old artwork as filler for the images above.
The speech bubble, when clicked, brings the user to the online comic maker.
While the concept is good, the resolution was incorrect and I felt the need to rearrange certain items.
Here, using a more typical website resolution, I was able to fit more trending pieces. I also relocated the logo to the top left corner next to the search bar. I also relocated Smiley and it made it seem like he was talking to the user directly, promoting the online comic creation tool.
This is the mobile-app version of Comical Relief. There is not enough room to fit all four tabs; So, to compensate, I prioritized the "Home" and "About Us" pages so it is the first thing users see upon signing in. Users will be able to side-scroll the trending works to view more artwork and comics.
The "Profile" and "Gallery" tabs are put at the bottom, since these pages are more personalized: displaying information the user decides to display, and all posted works and drafts.
Here is a mock-up of what the mobile version would look like on a smart phone.
Here are some merch concepts to help promote branding!
And, of course, no creator is complete without a trusty-notebook. The model here is a Comical Relief branded pocket-sketchbook, because you never know when and where ideas will come to you.
