Wk 4: Aesthetics and Design

The first two websites I navigated to were http://www.roverp6cars.com/ and http://jamilin.com/.  After reading this week's lecture, it seems that these sites serve as an antithesis to the guidelines for a well designed website.  Both sites suffer from a cluttered layout making them difficult to read.  Both pages center their text and are missing clearly visible logos.  MGPD parts would greatly benefit from a drop down navigation bar rather than making the user scroll all the way down the page to find what they are looking for.  Additionally, users may find it difficult to contact the business.  I was able to find links to contact them at the bottom of the page, however, they were hidden in the clutter of text and images littered throughout the page.  On Jami Lin's site, I actually found it quite difficult to figure out the purpose of the website.  At first glance, it just seems like it is designed to display her thoughts.

Both web pages would be greatly improved with a design overhaul.  MGBD needs to simplify their homepage and reduce clutter by cutting down on images and giving them enough of a break from other images or text.  A more legible font and an easier to follow hierarchy of information would work wonders.  Jami Lin's site would benefit from more contrast and repetition.  The same font is used throughout, yet the font color seemed to change with each section.  Consistency among the web pages would make it easier to follow.  Instead of clicking a navigation link that opens in a new tab with a different color scheme, it should maintain the same color scheme while also keeping consistent with the homepage.  It would also be easier if the design followed the traditional "left to right" design versus the centered column.

In contrast, when visiting toyota.com you are greeted with a simple white background with little in the way from their easy to use navigation bar and  vehicle explorer widget.  Without scrolling, a slideshow showing off their newest models and deals invite you to dig deeper into their website.  Once in their website, the navigation bar keeps necessary pages accessible at any time.

A similar story can be found at headhunterhairstyling.com. Their entire homepage can be viewed with less than one full scroll down.  Only the most important information can be found at the homepage such as an introduction to who they are, their logo, and a navigation bar.  The simple yet elegant design is easy on the eyes.  At the bottom of every page you can find links to their social media accounts, store address, and phone number which gives the user easy access to key information on any page.