web design

Week 7: Conference.am

Conference.am provides a range of high-class services for conferences, seminars and workshops:

Conference.am.

In the space of 5 minutes I can identify some of the key strengths and weaknesses of this design, and sketch out a mockup.

STRENGTHS:

• Quickly identifies what the site does, it’s services and other relevant information
• Navigation is bold and easily legible
• Use of relevant images helps identify site’s focus.

WEAKNESSES:

• The design feels quite dated, text is not anti-aliased, so the ‘jagged’ outcome seems unprofessional
• Crucially the menu does not seem like a menu but simply a graphic listing their services. The unconventional diagonally slanted navigation links break from viewer’s expectations in a NEGATIVE way.
• The gray background dulls the page and its content. A lighter background would make the site seem more clean.
• There are no ‘call to action’ buttons that should be drawing the user further into the site.

My Redesign

As always, I was limited by the 30 minute time-frame, but I tried to improve upon several of Motel Cisne’s features, adding a few design flourishes and a clearer layout that promoted content over wasted space:

WHAT I TRIED TO DO:

• Update the site, trying to make it feel less dated
• Used a white background to make the design more fresh and clean.
• Used a consistent color scheme and combination of typography to draw the users eye DOWN the page.
• Integrated prominent call to action buttons, as well as visually enhanced buttons depicting services provided. This was more interesting than regular bullet points which don’t grab attention.
• Created a more convention and usable navigation, clearly showing which page the user is browsing.

Comparing the 2 Designs:

Here is a quick comparison between the original design and my 30 minute redesign. Sure, my design could be more polished, but I believe that a lot of the basic elements have been improved upon, creating a more pleasant browsing experience.

How and Why To Enter Redesign Saturdays

You can have the chance to have your website redesigned in next weeks post. All you need to do is leave a comment to this post with your website address and why you think it needs a redesign.

The Benefits of Getting Your Site Redesigned Include:

• Most obviously – a FREE redesign job!
• Your website gets exposure to PSDFAN’s thousands of readers
• You understand how to improve your website. This isn’t just a redesign, it’s a lesson in design.
• You will get emailed the .psd of your redesign and can do whatever you want with it!

So please, leave a comment today for a chance to have your website redesigned next week!