Project 4 required us to create a 404 Error Page that used animation to engage the viewer. A user will land on a 404 page if you type in a URL that a domain doesn’t have. 

I had hoped I would be able to make several different 404 pages and take the opportunity to explore several different programs. I used Adobe After Effects and Adobe Express for my project titled, Left of Read. 

Long before the project was officially launched, I would have random ideas pop into my head. We conducted visual research for 404 pages that were interesting and engaging. I mostly looked at Behance. There was a surprising amount of quality work.

We spent a lot of time on the ideation process, and I came up with so many ideas. We utilized speed sketching and stickies for ideation.

I am sure there were some that weren’t that great, but most of them were able to evoke emotion. One idea was a person swinging in a tire swing and jumping out so that their body took on the shape of a four and the tire the zero.

I made a storyboard for four ideas. I liked my 'cassette tape attacked by a pencil' design and 'the man with empty pockets who looked everywhere' design. However, during our small critiques, everyone resoundingly wanted to see the 404 page where the viewer was “Left on Read.” 

I found Adobe Express to be limiting. I downloaded a few different Adobe software programs. In After Effects, I began to have some luck layering the video, with each text popping up in sequence. I had trouble editing the background and the length of each message. I was unable to create the rhythm I wanted, but I was able to get my idea across in an aesthetically pleasing way.

I transferred my video to Adobe Express and added the closing animation that showed the 404 page was a dating site. First, I took a screenshot of the final frame of the video and added it to a new scene. I then designed what I wanted the final frame of the completed project to look like: a phone capturing the dialog and a direction for the user to interact with. I then duplicated the scene several times so that I would be able to edit animations at different entry points. I hope I captured the spirit of the design throughout and made light of an unpleasant situation. Overall, I am pleased with the end result.

I spent a good amount of time clicking around different programs, so I am not sure what I learned. I am not sure I could go back and do the same thing again without the same headaches. I learned that I love to use stickies for ideation, though.