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Personal websites are a space to showcase personal skills, and show passion about different things, whether by writing articles, or building things.

Animated websites, sometimes, are hard to be understood, and you need to have tricky ways to scroll down or read content, ambiguity (eg: Link1 , Link2 ). But these kind of websites are a great way to showcase skills and creativity.

At the other hand, simple websites are good professional spaces to list references (articles, newspaper articles, .. etc), but it doesn't show how skilled or creative you are.

From UX-Perspective, what are things that I should consider to develop personal website, that, professional, can balance between creativity and content-ambiguity ?.

Note: Not sure if this thread would be treated as subjective question, but most of UX questions are subjective.

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    Regarding your note: Yes, this is a question that is phrased in way that it solicits subjective opinion-based answers. And no, most UX questions (or answers) are not subjective. This site is full such questions. User-centricity works because helps to remove subjectivity from the design process. You should consider rephrasing your question so it's more about a specific use case or design problem - an answerable question that will provide ongoing value. When a question is as broad as the one you've provided, the answer is always "it depends".
    – dennislees
    Dec 9, 2014 at 19:16
  • Thanks @dennislees I rephrased my question, and feel free to edit the post to narrow it down -in case u want to- in order to answer the questions "depends" on the different factors.
    – user3378649
    Dec 9, 2014 at 19:31
  • Asking for a list of "things that I should consider" is still too broad for this site. If you ask about a specific thing you are considering, the question might be answerable. See JonW's Meta.UX.SE post for an explanation of why requests for lists are off-topic.
    – Graham Herrli
    Dec 9, 2014 at 19:46
  • What's the objective of your site? The answer to that will likely answer this question.
    – DA01
    Dec 10, 2014 at 4:31

2 Answers 2

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From UX perspective, everything should be designed to cater to user needs. Main user need in case of personal websites is getting a holistic idea on a person who created it. Main objective? In most cases, hiring that person (given they match the need). Conversion point would be a viewer contacting the author.

The most efficient way to transmit the information that will answer the user need would be to use not just the message (concept) but also the medium that matches the message (form of execution).

To sum it up, if the message is creativity ("Hire me because I'm creative"), the medium should be creative, too. And if the message is pure data ("Hire me because I can analyse your data like no one else can"), the medium should comply, too.

So if users, or viewers, are looking for someone creative in the field of animation or interactive digital media, animation is definitely a way to go. Likewise, Infographics CV is a good hint for someone to hire an Infographics/DataVis artist. Like a coder employing parallax on her own personal website to showcase her skills.

But if they are looking for an analyst, creative form will distract viewers from the essential message, so it would be semantically inappropriate.

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  • You stressed a very good point ! a message behind the personal website. It should be related to the job/passion of the author.
    – user3378649
    Dec 9, 2014 at 21:44
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Why would the two extremes be mutually exclusive? I'm imagining a conservative, professional personal site with clear, well-organized lists of articles and references; then a gallery of high quality demonstrations of skill and creativity. The UX challenge would be to draw visitors to your gallery content without disrupting the professionalism of your home page. You can't just have an animated character run across your resume page... or maybe you can, if it is handled properly. Personally, I like subtlety: a minimally animated portrait of yourself, smile expanding with pride as the mouse approaches the gallery link.

-- EDIT to enhance answer --

The point I am trying to make is that animation doesn't have to look unprofessional. If it is clean and elegant (and elegantly understated), animation can imply masterful competence in a way that prose cannot obtain alone.

Of the examples you provided, neither is as elegant as I would prefer, but they definitely demonstrate the point I am trying to make. The animated Linux command line is less technically impressive than the mock video game, but it makes a much greater statement for its owner. It says "I play on the screens which scare users most." Kernel mastery is a powerful professional statement and this animation presents that statement better than a static list of Linux certifications ever could.

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  • Thanks! I got your idea, and I totally agree. In other words, not all people have time to explore your website. I read some articles stating that recruiters spend less than 10 seconds to read your resumé. People skim websites looking for things that they are looking for.
    – user3378649
    Dec 9, 2014 at 21:47
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    @user3378649 I think that recruiter stat is a lie. I've never met a recruiter that read anything but the phone number on my resume. :)
    – DA01
    Dec 10, 2014 at 4:32

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