WK 14 - CRITIQUE CLASSMATE PORTFOLIOS

Adila Ablat (Graphic Designer) – https://www.adilaablat.com/

Three Things Working Well
  • Clean, visually pleasing interface! Love the color palette.
  • Easy to navigate.
  • Categories are clearly defined.

Three Suggestions
  • Unable to click on the projects for more detail on the home page. Projects should be named and labeled with the applicable category.  
  • Dimensions for project photos on the home page should also be the same. Increase the gutter in between projects (the Chobani and Zevia ones are overlapping).
  • Social media links should be updated to reflect personal accounts.
  • Projects should have individual pages vs. just included all together under one category page.
  • Typographic system should be consistent throughout.

Ingrid Allen (Art Educator) – https://ingridallen.art/

Three Things Working Well
  • Simple, clean interface that is straightforward and easily comprehensible.
  • Beautiful self-portrait of the artist in practice.
  • Such fantastic work! The paintings are especially stunning.

Three Suggestions
  • Not sure if it’s just on my end, and I refreshed a few times already, but the cover photo on the main page appears to be blurry. Maybe also have a slideshow so we can view some of the work from the get-go?
  • Perhaps it’s worth to have a logo or icon instead of a photo as the favicon.
  • Wonder if it would be good to decrease the space in between the menu and page title so we can get to the content faster.
  • Maybe it’s also worth adding a little blurb or description about what each category / page will entail.

Savannah Alvarez (Graphic Designer) – https://savannah-alvarez.com/

Three Things Working Well
  • Eye-catching home page that clearly defines who the artist is and their self-branding. 
  • Typographic system is consistent and legible.
  • Nice touch in adding a description for each category page and project!

Three Suggestions
  • Perhaps consider deleting any indication that it’s done through Adobe Portfolio so it appears more professional.
  • Perhaps consider showcasing work as a gallery in a grid format in the category page first so viewers don’t have to scroll through continuously in order to perceive all the work.
  • Perhaps the description and title for each category page can be bigger so it stands out from the individual project descriptions and titles.

Brock Carroll (Printmaker) – https://www.brockcarroll.com/

Three Things Working Well
  • Incredible work! It was a joy to scroll through.
  • I like how all the work is presented right away in a grid format.
  • Beautiful self-portrait that fits the tone of the website!

Three Suggestions
  • A bit confusing that you can login and create an account. It appears more like a portfolio website than an e-commerce shop.
  • Font choice is a bit hard to read in all caps. 
  • Perhaps consider deleting any indication that it’s done through Squarespace so it appears more professional.
  • Perhaps consider grouping “New Work” and “Work” together and just dating them in their individual descriptions. It would also be nice to have a title / description for each project.
  • Also not sure about the relevance of the “Research” page.


© 2025 BY JESSIE CAO

ABOUT

Hello, I’m Jessie. I’m a graphic designer. I focus on helping you communicate with your audiences. I craft brand identity systems, user-experience design, and social media content.


If you’re interested in collaborating, my email is jessiecaodesigns@gmail.com. My resume is available upon request.

EDUCATION

BFA Graphic Design
California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)
Long Beach, CA | ‘22 – ‘25

AA Studio Arts, AA Art History, and AA Liberal Arts
Orange Coast College (OCC)
Costa Mesa, CA | ‘19 – ‘22

DISCIPLINES

Advertising
Art Direction
Branding
Content Creation
Leadership
Nonprofit Work
Packaging Design
Print Design
Project Management
Social Media Marketing
Typography
UI/UX Design

SOFTWARE

Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator,
Photoshop, InDesign) 
Figma
Procreate
Google Workspace
Microsoft Office
Meta Business Suite
Later
Sprout Social
Squarespace
Basecamp
Slack