Integrating The Design Of Separate Areas Of Your Website – Pros & Cons

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 recently 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.