Unsuccessful Webpages

HUMMUS-HOUSE.COM is a fantastic restaurant I found this past Summer. Their food and atmosphere are great, but unfortunately their webpage is not. The color palette is too limited and the lack of contrast make it very dull. The navigation bars are segmented (the main is broken in two lines) giving the visitor a lack of direction and visual flow. The large-boxy images compete with the small text, making it hard to read. Bottom line, the site seems to lack clarity and thematic elements that create visual hierarchy.

LUSHUSA.COM is a site for bath products and cosmetics that are handmade and eco-friendly. Having been to their stores, this was my first visit to their website. It is chaotic and overwhelming! With multiple menus- some horizontal, others vertical- not to mention type and photos clashing with hand-drawn letters and images, it was a dizzy browsing experience. There was too much to look at and read, so I'm left to infer that the page is primarily for shoppers who know exactly what item they're searching for (and can type it in the search box, thus avoiding the homepage hullabaloo).  

Successful Webpages

MACDUFFEVERTON.COM is a successful website because of its clean appearance and easy to navigate menus. The use of white space compliments the luscious colors of the photographs, giving the viewer an obvious hierarchy in content. The menu navigation choices are limited and self-explanatory. Much like the Google homepage, this site's design is successful in its simplicity.

EATINGWELL.COM is a recipe site that is loaded with content, both photo and text. This webpage is successful in that it bridges the gap between idle browsing and more direct searching. With an obvious visual hierarchy in play, it is just as easy to navigate to a specific recipe as it is to cruise for edible inspiration. Aesthetically, the site's color palette is fresh and pleasing, hearkening to ripe produce. It seems the designer was very mindful of both their subject and their audience.

Why I'm taking this class...

When it comes to art, the web is a medium that is foreign to me. With plans to move my graphic design career forward, I need to market myself effectively. Learning web design will enable me to do this. The days of submitting a physical portfolio have passed. As a result, I am looking forward to posting my design work online as well as executing the design of the site itself. In addition, I hope to develop a great understanding of the web design process, thus enabling me to add it to my resume.