01_Critique

Inputs

  • SITE_URL: https://acaradonna.github.io
  • CODEBASE: Jekyll + HTML/CSS/JS (no build)
  • BRAND INTENT (inferred): confident, technical, imaginative, elegant; audience: engineers/recruiters/collaborators
  • CONSTRAINTS: GitHub Pages, no heavy deps, a11y/perf first

Composition & Hierarchy

  • Hero lacks a clear focal field; background motion competes with content.
  • Sidebar is strong but content container translucency reduces figure/ground separation.
  • Grid rhythm on cards is good; hover effects slightly over-active for reading contexts.

Color

  • Prior version overused hues; recent duotone is an improvement but needs tighter contrast control across sections.
  • Accents occasionally fight with background intensity.

Type

  • Inter is solid but heading doesn’t achieve a distinctive typographic moment.
  • Vertical rhythm is acceptable; could benefit from stronger scale in hero.

Motion

  • Prior particle background was noisy; new duotone is calmer but needs clearer temporal phrasing and rest.
  • Hover tilt/shine is tasteful but can be softened in reduced-motion.

Texture & Iconography

  • Grain was too strong; reduced now. Iconography minimal (OK).

Depth

  • Shadows/glow consistent. Transparency previously muddied layers; now more opaque (good).

Issues (Severity)

  • High: Background can still pull eye at times on long dwell.
  • High: Contrast ramps not guaranteed WCAG across all states.
  • Med: Motion tokens not centralized; durations vary.
  • Med: Hero type doesn’t carry enough brand voice.
  • Low: No consistent pattern library for decorative effects.

Fix-first (Top 10)

  1. Centralize motion and color tokens; enforce WCAG pairs.
  2. Add reduced-motion variants to all custom effects (done for many; finalize).
  3. Introduce signature background with strict intensity control (Chill/Playful/Trippy).
  4. Implement Liquid Split divider for sectional hierarchy.
  5. Add Feral Corner utility for a subtle, ownable quirk.
  6. Introduce Sacred Field pattern at low opacity for depth (static on reduced motion).
  7. Strengthen hero typographic moment; fluid scale.
  8. Soften 3D tilt defaults; maintain clarity.
  9. Create Storybook-style sandbox for effects.
  10. Add a11y/contrast regression checks in QA.

Before/After Notes

  • Before: inconsistent motion tokens, strong canvas motion competing with hero, no field intensity control.
  • After: tokens centralized, reduced-motion respected globally, Sacred Field intensity toggles, Liquid Split divider reinforces hierarchy, Feral Corner signature on cards.