Humans are Materialistic

I don't think I have ever come across another person who didn't need something, want something, or like something they saw in passing; whether that be walking down the street, being with a group of people, being in one's own home, people are drawn to certain qualities that "turn them on". It even happens on the web.

If you went to The Children's Place website you would see a baby-like color scheme, pictures of cute children sporting cute clothes; it's laid out in a square fashion which is an ancient iconic sign for protection. Basically their whole setup has underlying aesthetics that entice mothers.

On the other hand, if you went to urbanoutfitters.com you would see a video with various girls showcasing their products with hip music in the background. The girls are wearing clothes that say "I don't care" but really mean "I care too much" (their prices are ridiculous). The layout is simple, chic. It is obvious who Urban Outfitters is cornering; people like me, you, and 98% of those who go to Columbia College.

The point I'm trying to get at is that the people who design these websites are told exactly how they are supposed to look. Every detail is thought about to entice the target consumer. Both these websites, I think, have done an excellent job pin pointing exactly how they want to come across... which probably means they are reaping the benefits of a good website.

So like I said earlier, humans are materialistic.

If these websites didn't appear as they do, they would not get their message across. Most people would visit the home page, see that it was unorganized or out of style and simply move on to a better one. Web pages never run out; that is what people expect. If this one doesn't do it, the next one might. Therefore, I truly believe that any successful website needs to take their message and convey that into their design otherwise the user will be confused and annoyed resulting in instantly leaving the web page.

Just as an example, I do not like the design of Godaddy.com. It looks like a giant page of advertisements, whipping our heads from one side to the other so fast we can't even begin to read any of the information. Honestly, I just really don't like the whole race car girl theme. Like I said before, your message and design should be on the same wave length, but I just don't see where domain names and racing women come together.

I think it's important for these things to add up for the most part. If you're a large, serious money making company, you should have a large, serious money making website. If you're a blog on how to make people go crazy, then maybe your website would be a bit visually strenuous. Basically, make sure you don't confuse your public, unless you want to.