A critical review of Manchester Uniteds website

Please click the link below to view Manchester Uniteds website.

Glory Glory!!!!!

http://www.manutd.com/

To review the website I will be using the four prescribed principles of  design:

Proximity, alignment, repitition and contrast.

ContrastElements that aren’t the same should be very different so they stand out, making them “slightly different” confuses the user into seeing a relation that doesn’t exist. Strong contrast between page elements allows the user’s eye to flow from one to another down the page instead of creating a sea of similarity that’s boring and not communicative.

RepetitionRepeat styles down the page for a cohesive feel — if you style related elements the same way in one area, continue that trend for other areas for consistency.

AlignmentEverything on the page needs to be visually connected to something else, nothing should be out of place or distinct from all other design elements.

ProximityProximity creates related meaning: elements that are related should be grouped together, whereas separate design elements should have enough space in between to communicate they are different.

When one first arrives at the site in question there is an access gate ( a click to continue window) it is here that we first get used to the colours that will provide repition and contrast through out the body of the site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The allignment can be found both on  the horizontal and vertical lines trough out the website. The main navigational tools are all alligned to the left, with a media viewer on the right which plays highlights of events involving the club.

The main colours used in the site are black, white and red ( the club colours). The club sponsor (AIG) is highly visible, emblazoned on a replica jersey on the banner of the site. All this has the single purpose of reinforcing brand recognition.

Pictures are found on both the vertical and horizontal lines, next to the particular details that they are representing. Some of the pictures change and accordingly the text is highlighted to correspond with this change.

 The site is makes good use of contrast with the colour scheme and of course the use of a yellow highlighter on the left navigational tool aids a user when moving through the site.

In conclusion I would recommend that the website is a well panned and executed design and a good example of the four principles if design in action.For more on the principle’s please check out the following:

http://carsonified.com/blog/features/design/how-crap-is-your-site-design/

http://units.english.uiuc.edu/ppw/prosem/2003/carp/index.html

http://www.presentationzen.com/chapter6_spread.pdf