Nicole Martorana
Nov 16, 2009
In my last post, I outlined the many elements that lead to your site design and layout. After careful consideration of these preferences, it is important to consider any theming you may want for your entire site. There are many possibilities available, but I’ll discuss some of the most popular options here.
Determining the overall feel you want your site to have and defining this from the beginning will greatly assist your designer in the mockup process and ensure that you are presented with a site design that meets your taste, market and expectations.
I have included several style preference categories below to help you start brainstorming what you may like for your own site. To accompany each site’s link, I’ve used screenshots of the elements I’m discussing in case these site designs change (as they often, and frequently, do).
Cutout photos are an unexpected way to emphasize your product, staff or even just a graphic element on your site. The Brooklyn Fare site features cutouts within the image rotator, while the Alpine Meadows site uses cutouts around the image rotator to bring emphasis to that area.
Notice how the worn look is executed in both the fonts and logo of Glenilen Farm’s site and then in the header, sidebar and featured elements on the Lanikai Properties site. The Verga site implements this in a different, and more subtle, way – through the edges of the photo and main site container.
Using illustrations instead of or in combination with photos or other graphics is a great way to give your site anything from an artistic and elegant to modern and trendy mood. It can even be used to mimic a geographic location, as on the Cascadia site.
There are many different ways of using a large-format photograph on your site. It can be used as a centerpiece (Housing Works), as a layer, (MacAllan Ridge), or as a full background (Monterey and Adelaide Zoo).
Another way to illustrate your site is to treat text as a graphic element. Large text is ideal for emphasizing the most important elements on your site or bringing attention to a company tagline. It can even double up as the main navigation, as it is on the The Served site. It should always be used sparingly for maximum effect.
Having a minimalist site doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, simplifying your site design can emphasize each element to a higher degree and create an aesthetically pleasing and classic look. Some ways this can be done are by simplifying the amount of content (One Laptop Per Child), the colors used (Arty Papers), or the areas in which content is located (Easy Bistro).
Using a collage effect is a great way to showcase multiple parts of your business in one graphic. This can be shown using a few select elements (Adventure Here), through an extreme theme (Tennessee Vacation), or something in between (Literary Bohemian).
This theme often emphasizes clean lines and a blending of style and simplicity. Though similar to minimalist, super clean sites often focus on emphasizing one main element and using a slightly expanded color palette.
Graphically representing a desktop or planner, as in these sites, creates an engaging and seemingly tactile environment on the Web. It’s a great way to create a sense of nostalgia (Hemingway) or modern work and living space (Liquid Ideas and Revolution Driving).
As I’ve mentioned before, the visual look and organization of your site creates the first impression visitors will form about you and will greatly influence their ideas about your company.
You have only a few seconds to make that first impression and draw them into your site to find out more about the products and services you offer so it is important to make those seconds count.
Note: Neither Immerge Technologies nor Nicole Martorana endorse or are responsible for the content on any of the sites mentioned in this post. These sites are only provided as examples of particular design techniques.