Week 4A: Aesthetics, Design, and Branding

Negative:

http://jamilin.com/

The first problem with this page is that there is far too much content on the home page.  There is also no way to distinguish which information is supposed to be the most important.  There are an abundance of buttons and links, but when you press on them, there is no continuity or repetition between the pages.  Some of the links bring you to completely different websites.  The site is not at all easy to use.  There isn’t even a home button to help you find your way back once you get lost.  The colors and massive amount of content make it confusing and not aesthetically pleasing in the slightest. 

If there were fewer links on the page, fewer websites linked to this site, and just less information in general, this page would work better.  The only information that is obtainable is in a random column in the center and could be made much more visually appealing.  Creating a theme that moves throughout the site, from page to page, will also help people be able to tell when they’ve gone to another page on the site, or to another site all together.  A home button could also be added for ease of use.

http://gatesnfences.com/

Like Jami Lin, this page has far too much content on it.  The placement of the links and proximity of the links in no way help decipher a hierarchy of content.  You cannot tell what is the most important and what you are supposed to click on.  The left side panel has an absurd amount of buttons on it and pictures appear to be thrown haphazardly around the place.  The vast number of links to other pages makes it difficult to use and look cluttered.  Everything looks the same, so it would be difficult to find what you’re actually looking for.  

If they had things organized in a more simplistic manor, it would be easier to look at one piece of information at once.  If they found a way to get rid of some of the buttons on the left hand side of the page, it would make the page look much less overwhelming.  Being more selective of the placement of pictures, and removing some of the links will help make the page look much more organized.

Positive:

http://www.headhunterhairstyling.com/

I would go to this hair salon, just based off the design of their website.  There is the perfect amount of contrast.  Calming header contrasting with a bold video.  This site is very aesthetically pleasing, with a simple, sleek look and the perfect amount of content.  The few links at the top bring you to specific pages with concise, important information.  It makes you feel relaxed and at ease.  The way you want to feel at a hair salon.  This page was very easy to use, and very nice to look at.

http://apple.com/

The first thing you notice when you get on to the home page of Apple, is the great contrast.  White words against a black back ground.  They continue the contrast trend throughout with bold blacks and whites with bright colors mixed in.  All of the written content is aligned with the photographs, instead of the photographs being aligned with the words.  This gives us a clear hierarchy of content over sales pitch.  They make it clear what the product is.  They don’t need to sell it to us because we already know what it is.  They just provide us with a site that is easy to use so we can buy what we have come here for.