Favicon Creation
Why This Favicon?
The favicon for this website includes my initials “M” and “V” cut out “scrapbook-style” with a pressed flower behind the two letters. I chose this design because the cut-out, scrapbook look of the letters represents the variety of different media and content-types posted on this website, while still giving it a more personal touch with the pressed flowers. The mark of a perfect favicon includes a memorable design that gives website users an idea of the person behind the website. These were important factors for me to consider while designing my favicon.
How Was It Made?
I created this favicon using Canva. As someone who uses Canva almost daily to design media for the Fine Print Club (an on-campus club I am the proud co-president of), I am very familiar with the tools in Canva and the elements that could be used to personalize the design. First, I chose the color of the favicon’s background, and then used the elements feature on Canva’s website to add the initials, text, and pressed flowers image. I did not use a pre-made template to create this, but rather personalized the ratio of the piece and started blank.
File Type
This favicon is a 512×512 px JPEG, the type of file suggested by the WordPress theme. This JPEG is also a raster graphic, with each individual pixel containing its own color.
Site Header Creation
Why This Header?
I created this header to match the favicon of the site as closely as possible. Therefore, I used the same color background, the same color and style of initials, and the pressed flowers in each corner. The only noticeable difference is the pixilation and the “Meaghan Van Dyke Digital Studies” at the bottom. This was added to include the name of the actual site itself in the header.
How Was This Created?
The header, like the favicon, was created using Canva. I chose Canva for both file creations because of my familiarity with the format and the variety of customization options. Similarly to the favicon, I chose the color of the background first, and then layered the initials, subheading, and pressed flowers on top.
File Type
This header is a 2000x300px JPEG file, with the pixilation chosen at the recommendation of the WordPress theme. Since this file is a JPEG, it is a raster graphic.