THE GUISE WITH KJ WAGNER
  

KJ Wager is a junior resident student at AUR. He is majoring in communications and minoring in Film and Digital Media. Last semester he took the Web Graphics, Coding and Site Design course (COM319). While enrolled in this course, he created a personal portfolio website which will be featured in the Student Show this semester. I was curious to know more about the course, what he has learned and what he plans on doing in the future.

Can you tell me a little about the COM319 course and what you had to do?

During the course of the semester we were taught how to write code and design our own personal websites. Of course, as beginners I thought the work would be basic and simple. I never expected the class to get insanely complex and at certain points I was most certainly confused. We worked on incorporating videos, animated gif’s and photos into our websites. We discussed how certain colors made people feel and where to strategically place information and titles that would be most appealing to viewers. I never knew how important this could be while entering the class but in fact, my professors proved just how curtail little things like these were.

What would you say was your greatest challenge throughout the course?

My greatest challenge during this course was getting my web designs to match all the visions I had in my head. I remember being extremely frustrated at the fact that I could not get my layout to reflect my original designs. The only way I was able to overcome this frustration was put away my designs and work from scratch. The fact that I had nothing to compare my website to made it a lot easier for me to come up with new and original ideas as I created while I worked.

What were the ideas and inspirations behind your final project?

For my final project, I wanted to create a personal website that would be used as my own showcase of works and projects. (photography, film, my blog etc..). I decided to keep my website subtle and simplistic so that my art could be the main focus. I find a lot of beauty in simplicity, this was the backbone of my designs. I used numeral colors so that my viewers felt calm and relaxed. I did not overwhelm them with information and instead wanted my art to speak for itself. I remember during this course we learned that green was the most calming and tranquil color and for this reason I incorporated it into my home page. I decided to use a light wood pattern as my background, these two choices made my site very earthy and relaxed. This was the overall goal for my designs and I am happy with the choices I made.

Are you interested in building your own website in the future?

Yes, at some point when I have enough time, I would love nothing more than to design and create my own professional website. I created a blog during the summer of 2011 using Tumblr and instantly felt a sense of satisfaction with posting my work, ideas, personal interests as well as creating the blogs design along the way. However, because this blog was created on a second parties platform, I don’t feel that it is 100% mine. For this reason I would like to eventually branch out and create my own website.

Click the picture above to view blog.

What type of blog do you have?

I created a fashion blog that has a strong focus on Menswear called The Guise. I mainly post stories, pictures and interviews with new and upcoming designers as the world of mens fashion is exploding with new and interesting artists/designers. I also give my own personal stylistic taste and often give advice to my followers who write me with questions. As of now I have over 3,000 followers and have been listed as a “Top Contributor” under the hashtag “Menswear”. It may not mean anything to a lot of people but for myself it’s a huge accomplishment.

What does The Guise mean?

The name has somewhat of a double meaning. The definition of “guise” is an external form, appearance, or manner of presentation, typically concealing the true nature of something. This of course would have to do with the content of my blog, dealing with what is presented and the viewer. The second meaning comes from the words pronunciation. Guise is pronounced like Guys and this suits my blog because of the fact that it is strongly focused on Menswear.

What are you aiming to achieve with your blog?

For me, my blog serves as a virtual canvas. I load it with things that to me are  inspirational and aesthetically pleasing. I first created it because I felt the need to voice myself on something that I had been interested in for years. I wanted to be an influencer of sorts, I wanted to reflect my individuality to others who were interested in the same things that I was. Of course, I never expected such a strong response in such a short amount of time, but it only makes me feel more satisfied with my decisions while making my blog.