Today while judging a list of sites on The CSS Awards I came across American Village Builders, a stunning design by Ryan Ford, creative director of deviantART. There were about five sites on the list and this one was just most memorable.
AVB Homes: Main
Design & Creativity
On design the site has a strong presence. It’s not trying too hard to be fancy but at the same time it is not being too conservative so there’s a great balance of creativity and simplicity. Take note on how the logo pops off the page elegantly thus pushing the company’s identity to the forefront. This is the first thing I imagine they want you to see; thus its prominence. Also take note at how it’s done – very stylish and creative. It even sets the tone for the website through colours and style.
There’s that lovely texture that gives the site an elegant feel and of course ties into its entire purpose – selling homes. The dark texture gives great contrast to the background and there’s enough white on the site that doesn’t make it feel dark. It’s welcoming, friendly and has a comfortable atomosphere.
AVB Homes: Community Homes
I don’t like the treatment on the contact button – I just don’t think the brown is contrasting nice enough with the button colour. However, I do think it’s the best pick. Why? To stay on point with branding colours on a site should be consistent. There were few options really: red, brown or white. The one with the best contrast of the three is the one chosen. And speaking of colours, the consistent use of red makes for strong branding, something set in stone by the logomark.
The bar used to divide the body section and the footer is a nice touch – clearly it’s an element from a house. This is an example of creativity with purpose. It pulls in the element of the product without going overboard.
Usability
The navigation is clear, easy to use and friendly. I used the photo gallery because this is something that has to be intuitive and it is.
An interesting observation is in the arrows. Someone visiting for the first time couldn’t know that the arrows showing are inactive. How would one know they’re inactive if they never saw active state? It’s a minor thing and you can quickly figure it out by trying to click. Wouldn’t it be best to simply hide it if there’s no use for it and show it when there is use? You be the judge of that.
AVB Homes: Footer
In the footer I noticed the titles but I thought they were just that – titles. However they are actual links. When I looked at ‘Home’ and ‘Contact us’ it feels like something is missing. I guess this is due to the inconsistency with the others. I also felt that ‘Contact Us’ could have the phone number below it; it is obvious they don’t want to share an address – which by the way can raise some doubts.
In Closing
Overall this is a stunning design that’s well executed, very detailed and has a great web identity. I’m a little tired seeing designers’ portfolios constantly win the site of the day on The CSS Awards. I feel a well designed corporate or business site should be highlighted more often. Why? Because these sites are aiming to sell something other than design services and it allows us to see how we can go about doing that.
I’m not saying this should win but I’d certainly like to see more sites like these submitted and showcased. What are your thoughts on this point? What are your thoughts on the design? Please, don’t hold back.
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home builder web design
