When it comes to creating layouts, webmasters can often be prone to resorting to gimmicks.
After one has made a good number of layouts, we begin to search for a “new” design, something that’s radically different for the sake of being different. In our search we’ll end up trying numerous obscure and confusing designs. While our intentions are good, we often end up with a needlessly complicated website that frustrates our visitors.
I’ve fallen for this trap as well, wasting countless months trying to reinvent the wheel. While thinking outside the box is always a good thing, it’s also important to remember that traditional layout designs are traditional because they work well. A well designed website can be ones that are unconventional but they can also be the websites that do traditional well.
Such is the case with Zelda Eternity. At a glance, the layout appears very simple; that is because it is. Navigation consists of a game bar on the header and a column of links on the left of the content. Having this minimalist design draws attention to the crispness and composition of the layout as a whole. The header and footer look great, fit well with the theme and complement the color choice of the content. It’s enough to catch your eye before moving to the content.
Speaking of content, what makes ZE such a great site to look at is how its pages are presented. Again the choice of background and font color is excellent, displaying the pages in an easily understandable way. White space is also utilized very well, as to not crowd the information being presented on the screen. A good balance is struck between images and text in the content, neither one crowding out the other.
In total, the website looks great; it’s clean, crisp and inviting. That’s the key; a successful layout should make your visitors want to look around. A successful layout presents its content well, so the reader is unconscious of its effect. Zelda Eternity lures you in and makes you want to hang around reading everything because it just looks so nice.
Thus, it is my pleasure to award this year’s Golden Bomb Plant for Most Stunning Site to Zelda Eternity. Congratulations to Mike, Link and the rest of the staff at ZE and best of luck in the years to come.
