This week we're looking at websites and asking ourselves "What are they doing well? How could they improve? And where do they just need to start over?" Despite the internet maturing to where it is now, admittedly not everyone is a web designer or knows the principles of web design. And yet, some do it extremely well. Here's a small collection of thoughts on four websites:
The Bad
Jami Lin's Passions - This website caught my attention because I immediately didn't know where my attention should go. There's quite a few concerns with this website design, namely with hierarchy of content, navigation, "tone", and typography. The site's hierarchy struggles because there's no focus; all of the text is smashed together into a narrow column (I'm guessing this site is from the 1024x768 days), roughly all the same size, and there's little imagery to direct us quickly to what things are. In addition, all of the content seems in conflict with each other. One area talks about Feng Shui, another real estate, then chakras, then its owner, and then anti-aging products. What is this site selling? The most eye catching element is the top header, but it's wild and garish in and of itself. Its navigation also struggles - I count at least three separate menus.and am not sure which one would take me where I want to go. And, the astonishing thing is that for as much content is on the front page there's...even more pages with even more content.
My major concern with this site is that it deals with traditional beliefs of thought that have to do with inner peace, peace within an environment, and balance. A business should convey their tone by way of their website, and no part of this site brings me "peace". It's cluttered, spastic in thought, and uses garish colors. If nothing else, it makes me worry that I'm going to get a computer virus from the assorted ads. The typography is also a struggle because it is all consistent - there's very little in the way of headers to distinguish sections of copy. I feel like every section is shouting for attention all at once.
This site also has major SEO issues (keyword stuffing, image-based text in the most important places, unclear navigation and headers, duplicate text, and more).
How could this be fixed? The first task would be to refine all of the content. All of the content needs to be consolidated into sections of thought. I would imagine that if you really picked this site apart you'd find that a lot of the text repeats and could be simplified significantly. Then, all but the most important information needs to be organized into pages under one menu. The next step would be to sort out the website design to fit the product it's selling. A website theme with a more simple layout and lots of white space would help to bring peace to the site, as would nice images of Feng Shui in use. Information about blog posts and more "train of thought" information could be neatly placed at the bottom of the page where it's still easily findable, but not screaming for attention.
Gates N Fences - This website also has some major struggles. Like the previous site, it struggles from trying to say too much at once with poor typography and hierarchy. The design is also especially problematic, and the methods they used to counteract it only make it worse.
By placing every single thing they want to say about the business right on the front page I don't even know where to start reading. The key with web design is getting your point across in mere seconds, and I have to admit it took me more than a moment to even figure out what this company does. There is no hierarchy to what they're trying to say - everything is coming at me all at once. Plus, the text is all too small to read. There's no change in typography to help emphasize points or separate content. Even links use the default blue color when that's easily changed in the site CSS. The website navigation also needs to be refined - it's another case of cramming in whatever they could think up as "possibly being important". It also takes a lot of scrolling to view it all, and likely important sections are getting lost to the SEO because they reside below the page fold (the viewable area when first loading the site). Much of this menu could be refined into a 2-3 level menu that simplifies information into sections so that certain customers know where to find content, and others can find other content.
The design of the site is also troublesome with a repeating pattern in the background and nothing to isolate page elements from it. To counteract this, they simply dropped all text onto gray backgrounds that clash and all images sit on white backgrounds. There are also major SEO issues on this site too - keyword stuffing, lack of headlines, lack of focus, and more.
To fix this site I would suggest starting by refining the content more carefully. What products do they sell? Make those navigation headers. What would they say about their company if they only had three seconds to say it? Make that the most apparent text when the site loads. And then I'd build out a much better layout that better isolates the page elements from the background (such as on a white background). This helps the text and imagery to pop better. The typography could also be spruced up with better headlines and font sizes. Then, I'd suggest moving all subtopics under their appropriate menu as flyouts to help clear the clutter. And, given that this company focuses on a very visual product, get some of those pretty pictures front and center. Let potential customers see your capabilities without saying a word.
The Good
In contrast, there are some excellent websites out there too!
Toyota - The Toyota website shines by being focused without fluff, much like their vehicles. Immediately I am presented with hierarchy - the four links at the bottom of the screen to build a vehicle, find a dealer, and more. Were I in the market for a Toyota that's certainly information I'd be looking for. Then, an animation loads and loops to keep visual interest, plus offers enticement to travel to another part of the site to view a commercial. This is an excellent teaser that doesn't compete with the rest of the site. And then, I notice the navigation waiting patiently at the top of the screen for any additional needs I may have. A little more scrolling reveals easy links to specific vehicles below the fold - indicated with a picture of the vehicle. This helps to solidify recognition of the vehicles, and satisfies the visitors that only know what a car looks like and not necessarily its name. The design aesthetic is clean and with a minimal palette, and the color red indicating things that I can do.
Toyota's careful design of their site leaves me feeling like I can easily figure out where to go to find the information I want. I happen to be a bit of a car nerd so I'm already familiar with all of their products and where they sit in the market, but this site is exceptionally digestible to those who perhaps aren't as savvy. Those visitors could shop by car category, price, and more easily. The entire site is clear and pragmatic, which is what I would expect from Toyota.
National Park Service - The NPS website is another example of an extremely well done site. Immediately I am greeted with their highlighted story on African American Heritage with a clear link of how to get to it. Below it in hierarchy sits three more highlighted stories, each also supported with clear imagery that conveys the message of the story. And then, my eye notices the drop down selector for parks within the system. Perhaps I came to this site looking for information on a specific park, but I was also gifted with other learning opportunities too. Scrolling below the fold reveals more highlighted stories and sections of the website that I may visit, all with clean, clear typography and earthy colors. I haven't visited many national parks, but it is certainly on my bucket list. Showing me beautiful pictures of the outdoors is something that certainly gets me excited to continue digging through the site. Expanding the navigation reveals many more subcategories that help visitors find what they're looking for. And then, it collapses out of the way.
The simple design of the site leaves me pondering the simplicity of the outdoors. I also appreciated how easy it was to find information in the first place - either through menus or the search box. The design leaves me feeling like I can quickly find exactly what I'm looking for, with some bonus information along the way if I want it too.
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