COMMUNITY WEBSITES

As the 'Our Happy Place' website will be for a community rather than a village itself, I researched whether there is a difference between the two in terms of web design. I found a directory of London-based community websites, which may provide some answers.

ANGEL ISLINGTON (angelislington.net)

 I really like this page for the Angel Islington area of North London, as it is simple, modern, easy-to-use and aesthetically pleasing. Although they have mixed yellow and green which can look ugly, the shades sit together quite nicely. However, I think it is the layout more than the colour scheme which gives the website an attractive look. It is immediately clear which website you are viewing, with interesting images and a video to watch, as well as a visible link for a business directory. Social media links are also very noticeable, with Facebook, Twitter, Google and Pinterest buttons, and it is the use of space that I really admire, which means that the first appearance of the website is very spacious and clutter-free.

When you scroll down, the page becomes more compact, with links to useful sites and pages down the left of the screen. Next to this is a live Twitter feed which I would definitely look to include within my site, and provides a fantastic up-to-date service for the user.

BALHAM (http://balham.com/)

The Balham website is also very spacious and clean and I particularly admire the use of typography within this example. The photography included is quite grainy, but the simple white colour scheme with occasional highlights of colour makes this a well designed website in my eyes. There is a simple search bar right at the top, and the navigational links are also simply designed and usable. There is a map to explore the area, like I have seen on a few others, and near the bottom of the page are some external links for Facebook, Twitter and Youtube involvement.

I would take forward the simplicity of this design to my own work, and I love the large typography for the title. The 'What's On' section is similar to calendar sections that I have seen, and I like the way it is separated into news for today, tomorrow and days in the future.

BEXLEY WEB (http://www.bexleyweb.co.uk/)

This Bexley Web site is also very simply done but the effect is not the same, and just feels like a Microsoft document. The homepage just features links to sites within the area of Bexley, as well as advertisements which isn't inspiring, although one of the links takes you to their blog which does have social media plug-ins.