This post is part of a weekly series of posts showing inspiring websites. I have changed the initial concept and decided to also write a short critic on them, from a webdesign point of view.
Webdesign
I really like the water color work, the color shceme and the different quotes and sayings (Albert Schweitzer…). That looks human, organic and very creative. At the same time the text readability is good, so the balance between creative graphics and regular type fonts works really well.
The site features a lot of small details, like the jQuery box and labels that show up on roll over the portfolio pictures, or the photo realistic bicycle, mac, and mouse in the footer.
Full flash, Ultra kitsch, with fluorescent lights and vintage photos…
I love the use of Bodoni typefont, like fashion magazines (yet hard to read when too small).
I like the big typos and their changing colors on roll over.
The minimalist and fresch graphics are really sustaining the content (here pictures).
However, the effect on the menu fold-unfold can be quite irritating after a while, when it is like doubl-boucing, which sometimes happen as a side-effect.
The overall design “handdrawn” is super cool and visually attractive, and the funny types are easy to read. I love the icons, they are fresh, understandable, and really adapted to independant designers.
They haven´t forgotten essential functions like search engine and the possibility to sort results, which is useful in the shop section.
A lovely design !
Using CSS and JavaScript libraries, this website is very animated and interactive. The mix vertical navigation / horizontal portfolio is surprising at first, but then really easy to use. Maybe arrows on the sides (like left / right) who have been an additional navigation possibility enhancing the experience ?
The portfolio shows the work in high quality, and one can appreciate the quality of the work.
A nice visual experience.
There is risk at extensively using shades of grey in a design. Dullness. But Sensis Studio managed to look classy, creative and inspirational, among others through the use of vectors, varied typefonts (size, family) and nice layout.
The readability is good, and the strong contrasts emphasize the most important areas of the site.
It looks very professional, but not att all dull or boring.
The grungy design adds up interest in this travel agency design and really stands out compared to other sites of the same category. Indeed they are usually very slick and neat. However, one could wonder how the prices that are integrated in Jpegs can be dynamically updated by non designers teams ? Maintenance was obviously not the main concern here.Visibility is also a bit harder on page featuring road maps… an idea for a V2 ?
But overall, it stands out in the constellation of billions of cheap travel agencies websites, that looks more like link farms / lists than anything else… so this one is refreshing.
A monochromatic design, very fresh and very pleasant. Naturally, the use of an aquarelle / water painting blue texture reinforces a lot the impression of freshness.
The hand drawn illustration add interest opposing to the slickness of the logo and the navigation bar.
There are some nice details to discover here and there and nice fade in transitions in the portfolio, even though you do not plan to buy a website…
This one is really experimental… the background is an enormous tile (like 4000px wide or sthg) containing all components. Clicking on the navigation items is taking you for a stroll over a big content “map”. It is like Google Earth, but in 2D… but it works !
The whole design is very graphical, minimalist and beautiful. There has been a real grill design effort, though it looks more like a huge illustrator print document with interactive links, but is is more than that. The designer is probably used to the rigor of the print industry, and the restrictive color palette (orange / blue / navy blue / white / grey) is well chosen and conveys its message effectively with minimum efforts.
It is a good planned and organised design. It is rare to see something like that. If you are looking for a UFO it is there !
Others
okdeluxe XMAS card 2008 from okdeluxe on Vimeo.
Related posts:
- Week inspiration # 01
- Week inspiration #06
- Week inspiration #08
- Week inspiration #05
- Week inspiration # 02
Tags: inspiration
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I am a french webbdesigner/graphic designer working for