JMU Anime Club
The only student org at James Madison University dedicated solely to fans of Japanese animation.
Type
Independent Website
Role
UX Designer
Front-End Coder
Tools
HTML
CSS
Bootstrap
Canva
Background
Through the JMU SMAD program, our class was tasked with building a website using HTML, Bootstrap, and CSS exclusively.
I had just finished my term as an officer in JMU Anime Club, and figured building a website might boost club recruitment, awareness, and image.
Context
The goal was to increase JMU Anime Club’s exposure through a new medium since we relied primarily on our Instagram for exposure. Ideally, a website would allow more accessibility for demographics such as JMU parents.
Additionally, Anime club’s 2024-25 officer board had been holding more social events, and I wanted to showcase them in a new, more “official” way to attract more members.
Design Questions
-How to make the platform accessible to audiences less familiar with Instagram and other mobile media?
-How to communicate the social direction our club has taken over the past year?
-How to increase campus awareness of Anime Club and display our club culture?
THE PROCESS
Several long-term members had referenced their parents as the ones who told them about JMU Anime Club.
Additionally, many members expressed memories of being nervous and wary of socializing when coming to club their first time.
I concluded the primary focus of the site should be on showcasing our club culture- particularly our welcoming environment and fun events so we may ease nervousness in student users and encourage parent users to tell their children about us.
I started by collecting photos from our club Instagram and from friends who’d taken them.
VISUAL DESIGN
I used the white and JMU-purple color scheme of our preexisting club logo.
In developing the Navbar, I was sure to include “Cons” as part of the Events tab- cheap convention costs are our most popular membership perk.
I also designed some anime-inspired buffers to put beneath each page’s title.
THE PRODUCT
I designed the site around photos, to give the greatest glimpse into our club environment.
The first thing the user sees on the home page is a slideshow of the “Greatest of 2024-2025”.
After that, every bit of information about the club has a relevant photo or member-created artwork attached.
