“A bright, easy-to-use site that focuses on the brilliance of the images. The photo album metaphor is a nice clean interface that’s beautifully executed.”—juror Craig Swann

“The use of the book metaphor is employed well for this portfolio. I especially like the loading transitions. I found myself wanting to turn the pages to see more images.”—juror Bryan Finke

Overview: This site has a decided Japanese design aesthetic, allowing the photographs to take center stage. It offers strange and beautiful juxtapositions by a photographer whose work comes from the inspiration created by each assignment.

• 72 photographs presented
• Familiar book-like interface
• 6 weeks, 3 people

Comments by Francine Zaslow:
“I was first drawn to Take Yasui’s work because of his amazing ability to combine animation, graphics and sound. After shooting still photography for over twenty years, the idea of having my images come to life through movement and music was very exciting.

“Take and I came up with the idea of showing a book, unlike a typical portfolio, that would incorporate motion, with blowing pages and scrolling images. As a creative director, and someone who spends a lot of time viewing portfolios, Take also wanted to create a different sort of experience for the viewer. With all the distractions and piles of paper surrounding one’s desktop, we wanted the viewer to be able to escape to a comfortable and inviting environment.

“As you navigate through the pages, the movement has a natural flow unlike a lot of Flash programming. Take has controlled the individual frames and used Flash animation as a means to combine the images and give each category its own mood.

“But it’s the unexpected surprises that help to keep the site fun and the viewer engaged—and searching for what will come next. Each section feels very different from the one before it. Animated graphics (the fan, coffee cup and humming birds) and carefully chosen music fit the tone of each section and help to carry viewers along.

“The feedback has been fantastic. It’s proved great as a self-promotional piece and has already brought in several jobs.”