
Hi, I’m Brian Dys — a photographer from the inside looking out · a composer entangled in electronic music · a UX designer · a spouse, a parent, & everything in between.
The first step of re-creation is to convert content into plain text. The structure isn’t important at this round. However, as a suggestion, we could start from left to right, top to bottom. For example, the first content could be seen at the top–right:
Gmail Images Menu Icon Sign In Button
Interacting with the elements is not yet required (e.g., clicking the menu icon). Convert only those that we could see visually. Later in the next round, we’ll convert the content that would be revealed while interacting with the elements.
This activity of gathering available content of a web page is part of the process called Content Inventory.
See the Pen RE:Creation No. 1: Google | Plain Text (Round 1) by Brian Dys Sahagun (@briandys) on CodePen.
RE:Creation is a design and coding activity in which we reverse engineer and recreate the HTML & CSS components of a chosen web page.
RE:Creation is short for Reverse Engineering Creation. It involves both discovery (theoretical) and delivery (technical) processes.
RE:Creation’s objective is to promote the fundamentals in designing digital products such as websites and web apps.
These fundamentals revolve around design disciplines such as Information Architecture, Interaction Design, User Interface Design, Visual Design & Accessibility, and Frontend Design.
The requirements to participate in a RE:Creation are simple: first, basic knowledge of HTML & CSS and second, a computer with these software:
Using these software for RE:Creation does not require internet connection.
Alternatively, a web app called CodePen could be used online. It functions both as Text Editor and Web Browser for editing and displaying web documents, respectively.
The Stages of Frontend Design serves as an overview of the whole process.
As an exercise on Front-End Development, The UI Team took a screenshot from instagram.com and treated it as if it were a design mockup.
We then proceed to deconstruct its Structure and Skeleton (Elements of UX) thru Information Architecture, Interaction Design, Information Design. The knowledge that arose in this deconstruction was used in building the HTML and CSS.
See the Pen RE:Creation: Instagram by Brian Dys Sahagun (@briandys) on CodePen.
We, as Visual Designers, have experienced how time-consuming it was to build the Front-End of a design mockup basing only on a simple image.
The Design Handoff warrants to have more than the Brand Guidelines, Style Guide. It must also have some form of Information Architecture and Interaction Diagram that could greatly make Front-End Development faster.