Week 3 Part A: Aesthetics, Design, and Branding

Best Electronics

 https://best-electronics-ca.com/

Where do I begin with Best Electronics? My first thought was "What a jumbled mess!" There was a lot of large, bold print and it was difficult to separate what was what. There also was endless scrolling with no back-to-top link. In addition to a lot of bold print, they used multiple colors which were distracting and would switch from left alignment to centered for each section.

I do not believe this website was professionally done. The page does not feel cohesive. Although it is a a reference to the Atari 8 bit family, I think that the website would benefit from more separation between headlines and the subjects. The fonts should also be the same color and the headline in bold, placed above the text. Customer feedback would look better in a grid, perhaps with a different colored background as well as a smaller, non bold font.

Gates N Fences 

http://gatesnfences.com/

Gates N Fences had some positive aspects, but overall it was drab. The website lacked contrast and seemed small and scrunched together. The pictures of their work were spread randomly throughout and not the best quality of photography. There was not much separation between sections and the headlines were in blue font, the same size as the fine print.

It appears that a semi professional designed this website. The logo was consistent in the links, and there was left side navigation. The page logo and banner represent what the company is about. I would work on more separation between headlines and better quality photographs. I would also use a grid to separate the photographs and the type of gate or rail groupings. Headlines should use a larger, bolder font.

National Park Service

https://www.nps.gov/index.htm

This was the first website I clicked on. I had no idea what NPS stood for! I was drawn in immediately with the bold contrast of the beautiful pictures. The first link I went to was the 20th observance of September 11th. The contrast and simplicity drove me to want to explore more of the website. The logo was a little small, but represented on each link. Every page link contained a short description and photograph that made me want to explore what it contained. This page was definitely professionally done, but then, money buys a better product. It contained bright, clean pictures, a three column grid and good separation between each. At the top of the screen there was a search option as well as a pull down menu.

Apple

https://www.apple.com/

Apple's website was crisp and simple. Their concept was fulfilled. The Apple logo was in the top left corner along with links to products, services, support and your shopping cart. There was room to breathe with plenty of separation between headlines. There was plenty of color contrast between each headline by the usage of light and dark, as well as bold colors. The entire website was easy to navigate and it also included a sitemap in the footer. Once again, I would say this was a professionally produced website with all of the bells and whistles!

The design of a website makes a huge impact. It was easy to be drawn in and comment on Apple and the National Park Service. Simplicity and bold contrasts make a more engaging experience. I also realize that quality photographs help to reinforce the brand. It is also important to have easy navigation when there is a lot of content.