Texture
Texture refers to the appearance and atmosphere of a surface. When used correctly it adds visual interest and detail and can emphasize a particular mood or feeling. As texture is often related to the feeling of an something it can, at times, make a two dimensional piece seem to be three dimensional which, in the case of the Red Robin Garden Creations’ website, will attract the eye of potential customers. Three-dimensional images are also more memorable as they can appear to be more life-like and therefore provoke a more emotional reaction from the viewer.
In my design, I have not used texture. It is largely two-dimensional and therefore may not stand out to customers, as some other more textural sites will.
Bathtub Gin
www.bathtubginonline.com is an excellent example of a website which successfully uses texture. It uses multiple layers of texture to build an impression of intrigue and charm. Shading and illumination of the lights make the webpage appear to be three-dimensional. This sets the scene in a way that visitors to the site can identify with the brand.
I should have used texture to create dimension in my webpage. Obviously, my skills would not accommodate a website of this level, but I could have used shading, for example, in my banner to make the grass stand out and look slightly more realistic.
[Insert picture of banner]
Colour
By using colour, it communicates symbols. Different colours can portray different moods or place emphasis on important features of the design. It can be used to place focus on important information, attract the eye, tie together the layout, or prompt an emotional response.
In my website I used mcolour to emphasise the fact that Red Robin Garden Creations is, in fact, a website advertising a gardening company. In the same way that a company which produces juice might have a slightly more orange colour scheme, I used greens and browns to help relate the website back to it’s purpose - providing information about Red Robin’s gardening services.
I used coloured borders around the images on the website to place emphasis on them and draw the viewers eye in. The idea of this was that the first thing a potential customer saw when looking at the webpage was an image of the work that Red Robin Garden Creation’s has done. This is advertising what they are capable of in relation to gardening and gives an initial idea of whether or not they provide a service appropriate to your specific needs. Because the same coloured border is on all images on the site, it helps to tie the layout together.
Value
Value concerns the darkness or lightness of an area. It separates, implies a particular mood, creates a sense of drama and gives the illusion of volume and depth. An example of using value is with the use of a gradient or shading a shape to give it a three dimensional effect.
Satisfaction Remote
An example of a website which uses the design principle of value is www.satisfactionremote.com. As you can see, the background of this webpage is a gradient ranging from grey to black. In this instance, this suggests a professional mood as its very minimalistic and clean, using primarily only shades of greys and black. The area of the gradient that is lighter attracts the eye to where the text is located and the large, dominant image of an IPhone. This is because they are contrasted against the background.
If I was to redesign my website I would use value to give certain aspects of the page more depth. For example, I could have given the items in the banner and logo shadows so they appeared to be standing out against the background.
[Picture]
Size
By making and particular feature bigger or smaller it can show what’s most important and attract attention. Larger objects are generally more important and attract more attention. They tend to come forward on the page and provide contrast when places besides something
