Web design is an area you need to be willing to throw some money at if you’re going to stand out in a crowded market. 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if it’s unattractive. Okay, let’s be honest, the majority of websites are totally generic and completely boring and will do nothing for your personal brand. It’s like they took them out of a box and assembled them with a mallet and no nails.
But sometimes you come across websites that are so beautifully designed that they inspire you to take a look at your own website. We’re not saying that any of the following websites are designs you have to copy, but they should definitely make you think.
Feed
The concept of the Feed website is more interesting than most. The execution here is solid because it challenges what you normally expect to see on the web. It uses both animation and video to grab the user by the throat and drag them headfirst into the experience.
There are a few usability features that caught our eyes. The big one is the navigation feature, which is actually a scroll progress bar at the same time.
ETQ
The minimalism approach isn’t exactly a demonstration of the vast increase in digital marketing spending this year, but with the ETQ website it’s worked like a charm.
They’ve stripped down the website and given us some huge visuals of their main product. The simple and flat look goes against websites like Feed. But here it works because it gives their target market exactly what they want to see, which in this case is shoes.
Mikiya Kobayashi
The portfolio of Mikiya Kobayashi, a product designer, has been showcased in a way you wouldn’t expect. Instead of showing how flashy his portfolio is he has actually toned the whole thing down. His minimalistic portfolio showcases what you came to see, which is great photography embellished with a few small yet fun animations.
The original website was Japanese, but he has had it translated into English. If anything, this website has demonstrated the need for some international scaling. Remember that not every design will translate well into other cultures. It’s something you have to consider as you expand.
The History of Climate Change
Storytelling is crucial. You hear about it all the time that you have to tell the story of your brand. Luc Jacquet’s website has demonstrated how to make your website into a story.
Users are invited to join an educational journey full of rich visuals as they find out about the history of climate change. Historical media has been brought together with some modern animations to make the story clear without all the jargon that usually comes with scientific websites.
Virgin America
The airline industry is known for its quite frankly shoddy websites. We’re not naming any brands, but one of the biggest problems is usability. There are so many bugs and many airlines are known to experience downtime under heavy traffic on a regular basis.
But Virgin America decided to opt for a rebrand by completely redoing its website. It’s taken usability, accessibility, and responsive web design as its main mantras. The only thing we can say about the Virgin America website is it actually works, which already makes it an inspiration.
It’s also acquired the accolade of being the first responsive airline website in the world. Expect its competitors to follow in the coming months and years.
World of SWISS
As if on cue, another airline has decided to step in and completely redo their website. But World of SWISS has taken a different approach by opting to tell its story. We give major bonus points to this website for its ability to tell a story.
Not only has World of SWISS told its story, it’s gone out of its way to show you exactly what it’s like to fly with them. Through visuals and animations on every section of the website, it’s easy to think that you’re flying with them right that second.
And we have to say that World of SWISS has broken new ground because it hasn’t crammed its website with meaningless sales and marketing nonsense that are common to airline websites.
Conclusion
These six websites are an example of some of the ways you can make your website stand out. The approach you take will define what you actually get from your web designer. Great visuals are important, but so is the usability of your site. You can’t trade one in for the other.
Learn from these sites and see how you can improve your own today!
