Sam Lampano

An online article about Jean-Michel Basquiat made for desktop and mobile.

Black and White All Over is an essay by Francesco Pellazi about the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. For this class project, I was required to transform the text into a responsive web article with at least one interactive feature, for the purpose of creating something that can not be done on paper.

I started by carefully analyzing the essay, then creating sketches and wireframes to map out the design. Early on, I ran into a challenge with a typeface I liked, which caused some unexpected glitches. I experimented with the glitch, creating several layouts, but nothing seemed to work as planned. I wanted to keep the glitch, but for the timeframe and completion of the project, I had to make a new concept from scratch. I used the same typeface in this new concept, but without the glitch, and was finally able to create something that better fit the needs of the brief.

In the final design, I went for a dynamic, structured approach, keeping the original typeface but without the glitch. I took inspiration from Basquiat’s approach to balance and contrast, using different elements in balance with each other, such as using two different typefaces for the title and quotes to mirror his unique style.