Best site designs?

miralize · 02-07-2013 6:54pm

tricky D wrote: »

I also don't find this 'up to a whole lot'.

Content is very 'we' oriented, and I mean beyond the word count but also methodologies description, which reminds me of webfactory's and many others' 5 stages.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm no fan of the washed out, poor contrast type and colour schemes.

Other issues which I would address are: no form for contact, excessive centre aligned text, negative perception words, background image layout 'errors' for devices...

One under the bonnet trick I do like, is the commenting of certain end tags, mainly divs, which allows for some easier layout changing.

The type could definitely be darkened in one or two places. However, I do like the white on light background for the main title, it might not be the clearest, but its hardly the most illegible thing on the internet.

KonFusion · 03-07-2013 11:37am

We have a winner. Beautiful!

http://cats4gold.com/

miralize · 07-07-2013 4:43pm

http://vsco.co/

KonFusion · 07-07-2013 5:03pm

miralize wrote: »

http://vsco.co/

Can't decide on this one. It's so ubiquitous.

Sure it's trendy...but is it great design?

I dunno. I'm waffling

tricky D · 07-07-2013 5:08pm

KonFusion wrote: »

I dunno. I'm waffling

Reckon you might have caught that waffle virus from the site. Not a simple explanation in sight imho.

miralize · 07-07-2013 5:51pm

tricky D wrote: »

Reckon you might have caught that waffle virus from the site. Not a simple explanation in sight imho.

Its all about audience context. The site is clearly for design professionals.

tricky D · 07-07-2013 5:56pm

Kinda proves my point, doncha think :pac:

miralize · 07-07-2013 5:58pm

tricky D wrote: »

Kinda proves my point, doncha think :pac:

Not really. There isnt some rule that it has to be immediately understood by everyone at first glance.

tricky D · 07-07-2013 6:19pm

Well, I did watch the video with the distracting music and still don't reckon it's getting the message across well. The slider content further down does do the message function to a good extent. It's stylish for sure, but I feel there could be more and better substance. How difficult is it for them to simply say our product does this. There's a common conception that great design is mainly about looks - it isn't. Here's a quote from some bloke who used to head a company famous for its design.

"Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it's this veneer – that the designers are handed this box and told, 'Make it look good!' That's not what we think design is. It's not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."
Steve Jobs

miralize · 07-07-2013 6:23pm

tricky D wrote: »

Well, I did watch the video with the distracting music and still don't reckon it's getting the message across well. The slider content further down does do the message function to a good extent. It's stylish for sure, but I feel there could be more and better substance. How difficult is it for them to simply say our product does this. There's a common conception that great design is mainly about looks - it isn't. Here's a quote from some bloke who used to head a company famous for its design.

Yes I'm well aware, But what I'm saying is that for its their audience that the site needs to work for. Not the 99%

KonFusion · 07-07-2013 6:43pm

miralize wrote: »

Yes I'm well aware, But what I'm saying is that for its their audience that the site needs to work for. Not the 99%

As the 1%, I've decided I don't like it.

It's very pretty, but it's not good design.

I'd like to hear more opinions though.

Edit: Also the music sounds like it's from GTA :pac:

tricky D · 07-07-2013 6:43pm

And I still reckon it doesn't do this well for the target audience which I am in to a certain extent.

I don't think our opinions are going to converge on this.:)

miralize · 13-07-2013 4:32pm

In awe of this guys work

http://haraldurthorleifsson.com/

KonFusion · 18-07-2013 3:55pm

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/os/

Very cool.

Related: http://johnpolacek.github.io/superscrollorama/

KonFusion · 19-07-2013 1:48am

http://bellroy.com/pages/slim-your-wallet?gclid=CI2m3tnzubgCFY2e4AodpnEA6Q

smcelhinney · 19-07-2013 12:22pm

KonFusion wrote: »

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/os/

Very cool.

Related: http://johnpolacek.github.io/superscrollorama/

You know what? Im not sure about it. Aesthetically its lovely, but the purist in me would say it's OTT. There's no predictability about it, and chaos for chaos' sake is just wrong

miralize · 19-07-2013 12:38pm

It also looks strange in 2560x1440. I wouldnt say predictability is the issue, its continuity

KonFusion · 26-07-2013 4:55pm

http://punkave.com/

smcelhinney · 26-07-2013 10:34pm

I likes this.

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/

KonFusion · 26-07-2013 10:44pm

smcelhinney wrote: »

I likes this.

https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/

I absolutely hate it!

smcelhinney · 26-07-2013 11:29pm

KonFusion wrote: »

I absolutely hate it!

Ha! Now now..

lil_lisa · 26-07-2013 11:56pm

http://punkave.com/apostrophe

Is this for real? I have to hold the mouse over the video to keep it playing? :eek:

Dave! · 27-07-2013 1:15am

lil_lisa wrote: »

http://punkave.com/apostrophe

Is this for real? I have to hold the mouse over the video to keep it playing? :eek:

Vine?

KonFusion · 27-07-2013 6:33pm

lil_lisa wrote: »

http://punkave.com/apostrophe

Is this for real? I have to hold the mouse over the video to keep it playing? :eek:

Oh god... Didn't even notice that!

lil_lisa · 29-07-2013 5:53am

It looks to be as anti-user friendly as autoplaying videos (cringe!!). There's a reason I've never heard of Vine...

...and also lack of Twitter use in my life

miralize · 29-07-2013 10:03am

I don't know if I have user friendliness issues with it.

The videos themselves have no audio, so there really isnt any point in playing them if you're not watching them. Theres an argument for audio in the video, but I guess thats why the text is there at the side.

If anything, is it not a bit of a tradeoff? In order to see it, you need to focus on it.`

miralize · 31-07-2013 8:06pm

Pretty standard but I like the refresh
http://griffintechnology.com/

Jonny Blaze · 31-07-2013 8:17pm

Loved this.

Especially the scroll effect on the portrait.. http://www.adhamdannaway.com/

miralize · 31-07-2013 8:25pm

Anything with a pre-loader, especially a portfolio, is an absolute no-no.

Jonny Blaze · 31-07-2013 8:33pm

miralize wrote: »

Anything with a pre-loader, especially a portfolio, is an absolute no-no.

Yeah funnily enough neither is the guy who designed the site!

He has a great post on smashing magazine detailing the whole design process.

If memory serves his rationale was that that he hated jumpy screen transitions and wanted ensure the page animations all worked consistently and smoothly.

You can check it out here if you like.

miralize · 06-08-2013 3:21pm

Not a site design, per se, but a logo redesign process article that was just so smart I had to link it somewhere

http://jackwmorgan.com/squared/

miralize · 11-08-2013 9:45am

Fantasy Interactive have done it again

http://www.wacom.com/

smash · 12-08-2013 11:51am

miralize wrote: »

Fantasy Interactive have done it again

http://www.wacom.com/

Sorry but that's brutal. It's all over the place and the menu is awful.

miralize · 12-08-2013 12:18pm

smash wrote: »

Sorry but that's brutal. It's all over the place and the menu is awful.

The menu is great! It's a tad all over the place at first on the homepage but I do think the menu is a nice change from what were used to seeing.

KonFusion · 12-08-2013 12:40pm

miralize wrote: »

http://www.wacom.com/

Did somebody say Windows Metro?

miralize · 12-08-2013 12:41pm

KonFusion wrote: »

Did somebody say Windows Metro?

*cough*Microsoft design language*cough*

KonFusion · 12-08-2013 12:50pm

miralize wrote: »

*cough*Microsoft design language*cough*

Ha, you know what I meant!

miralize · 12-08-2013 12:54pm

I'm just covering our bases legally

miralize · 24-08-2013 8:10pm

http://acko.net/

KonFusion · 24-08-2013 9:20pm

miralize wrote: »

http://acko.net/

Holy crapola!

deconduo · 25-08-2013 12:53am

miralize wrote: »

http://acko.net/

That is pretty insane. There so many things going on there that I didn't even know were possible.

redman85 · 26-08-2013 12:10pm

http://disqus.com/websites/

miralize · 26-08-2013 10:39pm

The sense of depth in this is stunning

http://wagerfield.github.io/parallax/

Dave! · 26-08-2013 10:50pm

What a shame... It had so much potential!

...unless I'm missing some irony! :eek: Surely not

miralize · 04-09-2013 10:22am

http://kitkat.com

Not super pretty, but funny none the less

tricky D · 04-09-2013 1:45pm

miralize wrote: »

http://kitkat.com

Not super pretty, but funny none the less

Context (of a sort): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23926938

Abstract:

Android KitKat unveiled in Google surprise move

By Leo Kelion Technology reporter

KitKat with Android Nestle plans to sell more than 50 million chocolate bars featuring the Android mascot

Google is calling the next version of its mobile operating system Android KitKat.

The news comes as a surprise as the firm had previously indicated version 4.4 of the OS would be Key Lime Pie.

...

miralize · 04-09-2013 1:46pm

tricky D wrote: »

Context: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23926938

Abstract:

Well it does explain the deal at the bottom of the site...

madness98 · 05-09-2013 3:34pm

tricky D wrote: »

Context (of a sort): http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23926938

Abstract:

Very interesting idea, I imagine there would be much room for humor if this all went south, it never occurred to me that all of the releases had been named after treats though.

KonFusion · 11-09-2013 10:54pm

http://www.bettercallsaul.com/

Just beautiful!

Don't forget to help Mr. White http://www.savewalterwhite.com/

miralize · 11-09-2013 11:28pm

KonFusion wrote: »

http://www.bettercallsaul.com/

Just beautiful!

Don't forget to help Mr. White http://www.savewalterwhite.com/

We must follow the same people on Twitter, either that or this is just doing the rounds :P

Best site designs?

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