Web Page Analysis

I decided to analyze web-designs and layouts for this assignment, for the sake of doing something that hits home for most people. If you're anything like me you spend a great deal of time online these days. As much web surfing as we do I'm sure we have all been drawn-in or pushed-away by good or bad web design at least once. Viewing these two images I hope it is obvious to onlookers which is designed well and which was vomited up by someone with no artistic eye whatsoever. 

The ugly, ineffective layout is a web page for a formal dress and tuxedo shop somewhere in Florida. I hope word of mouth serves them better than their web page or else they're long gone by now. The design in no way reflects positively on the business' contribution to their industry; a formal-wear shop catering to a higher-class clientele dressing for special occasions. It is counterproductive to this purpose of having a web site. This web page touts a lot of information... so much so that I am completely at a loss for direction, focus, interest or any type of order. The words are in no way organized, there is no continuity with colors, text or design, no spacial considerations were taken whatsoever, the main image is distracting and confusing and the entire page lacks any sense of balance. There was definitely a lot of contrast but not in a good way. The sporadic design satisfies zero of the Gestalt Principles and leaves the onlooker racing for the back button.   

Ahhhh, onto the good web page design. The "Feed Stitch" web page has a better feeling to it, doesn't it? That's because someone with sense created it. Not just sense, but knowledge of how to aesthetically please website visitors and potential clients. The first thing I notice about the page is that it feels balanced to me. It is designed with as much interesting detail on the left side as it has on the right side, although it's not symmetrical. It immediately puts me at easy to feel this, so I stay on the page to look for more. The next thing I notice is the text. The main text is written in a easy to read and beautiful font. The other text on the page is placed in front of a background, typed in a pop color and in all caps which contrasts with the light blue background color, making it easy for me to read and follow. The main blue colors all seem cohesive and tranquil, setting the perfect background for the pop colors of the artistic picture of thread woven through fabric. That brings me to my next point of interest which is texture. The colors vary in such a way that alludes to shadows and some type of texture to the page, along with the seemingly 3-dimensional picture of thread going in and out of the digital fabric. The Law of Proximity is also demonstrated here because upon first glance I naturally grouped the rows of boxes together because they were near each other and similar in appearance. The Law of Closure also applies to the picture of thread. Although I can't see it in the middle where it is supposedly on the backside of the fabric, it reemerges on the right side of the web page and continues outside the border of the screen. I know it is one continuous string even though it's not shown in its entirety. The entire design seems clean, contemporary and inviting to me.  

 http://racked.com/archives/2010/07/26/does-yvettes-wedding-dresses-have-the-ugliest-website-ever.php 

http://www.looks.gd/design/what-does-good-web-design-look-like