Integrating The Design Of Separate Areas Of Your Website - Pros & Cons
July 23 2008
UPDATE: Since this post was originally published I have now changed the blog design to merge with the rest of the website. It is still worth you reading the post though.
The majority of my websites have different areas, even if it is only the main website and then a blog on a subdomain. I have recetly been considering the designs I use on different areas of different websites I have, and whether or not I should integrate the designs so they look the same or have different ones.
On this website there are 4 sections: the main website, free image hosting, hdr info, and of course this blog! At the moment the main website and image hosting service have the same basic design (with a few tweaks), and the HDR area and this blog have dramatically different designs. So should I make all areas look the same, or make them look different?
Here is a breakdown of the advantages and disadvantages of having a consistent design:
Advantages
- Users will feel more comfortable navigating between areas
- Users will build up more loyalty because it is obvious the different services are ran by the same website
- Consistency throughout the site looks more professional
- When users land on different areas from different channels they will recognise the overall ‘website identity’
- Refreshing the design is easier because you only have to worry about one design and only have to edit one file
Disadvantages
- Makes the website feel ’smaller’, different designs make it clear the areas provide different services giving the whole company a larger feel
- You only get to play with one design, instead of trying cool new things on lots of designs
- The limitations of the design are felt across the whole site, rather than just one or two areas
- The design may not be ideal for all services
That’s all I can come up with right now - 5 advantages and 4 disadvantages. I guess that means it is more beneficial to have a consistent design.
I’m still considering this situation and am going to take action in the coming weeks upon what I decide.
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This post was written by Chris and published on July 23rd, 2008
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Since this post was written I have now changed the blog design to merge with the rest of the website and provide a seamless experience for you, the user. I have decided to keep the HDR section a different design because although it is about images it is aimed at a different audience.