Boogazine- psychology and web design

Design and psychology may not seem like an obvious link but there are so many areas to explore. One of these is website design. As with many things, first impressions are key. Often, when i search for something on google, if I open a site that looks unappealing, dull and full of small text, i won't bother even having a look and will go to the next link straight away. Other websites automatically catch your eye and draw you in. The position of icons and pictures can be very important as are colours and image quality.

Here are some examples of BAD website design

for me, this type of design has got to be the worst. There is no one thing that draws you in and the page has no sort of order to it. the text is very small and compact and the font is standard, but not very appealing. Images are very small and everything seems to be underlined. This site wouldn't interest me so i would look for another.

This site seems to be a bit of an overload of blue. its filled with lots of blue text that goes on for ages. Images are of a poor quality and there is a man awkwardly placed at the side of the screen talking about the site which could be quite off putting if you were trying to read- he has no pause button!

 
One thing this site can not be accused of is being dull!! however, I'm sure most people visiting this site would leave with a headache! The colours are way too overpowering and actually move around on the live site. There is a dove flying round the page, a cat running along the bottom and some crazy music in the background! I won't be returning...

Now for some GOOD examples!..

A good website is one that is easily accessible, easy to understand and to navigate around. Links and icons should be clear and tactically layed out. Images should be of good quality, eye catching and draw your attention in. It should want you to go back and visit it again or recommend it to a friend, It could be inspiring. It should sell the company or brand and allow the consumer to trust them. A point has been made that 'if a man from mars can not find the focal point of the page then it is not good enough' And overall it should meet the needs of the user.

 This website is clear, the text is large and legible. The excellent images are layed out neatly and there are menu options at the top so that you can choose what to look at or read and are not bombarded with information.

sorry about the quality of the images below, click to view the original

I really like these designs which use quirky characters on their site. It gives the page a bit of character and is interesting to look at. The colours used are very appealing and i thing these sites would be easy to use for anyone.

sorry about some image sizes! won't let me edit

Boogazine - Maslows hierarchy of needs.

I've not posted on my blog for a while as i have been away but today i've gone back to research for my Boogazine. I'm still interested in the idea of looking into how the world of psychology is so intertwined with design. Below is Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of needs. Abraham Maslow was a professor who founded a major branch of psychology known as humanistic psychology, which examines very personal concepts like basic needs and self-actualisation. Humanistic psychology is widely used in marketing to truly understand the motives that drive a consumer to buy a specific product.

The idea with this pyramid is that the basic needs are at the bottom of the table and so they need to be met before progressing up the list. So for example, when buying a car the 'safety' section would usually be considered first for example; cost, how safe the car is going to be. Once this is sorted you can start to think about maybe the style and make (esteem/self actualisation).

So, in design it can often be more important to work out what it is that the customer wants from a product/ design and who they are as opposed to fully focusing on making the design look the best. A piece of furniture may be the most stunning piece of design you have seen but it may be too expensive, not the right size or too uncomfortable to even consider buying.

Read more at http://designshack.net/articles/business-articles/design-meets-psychology-putting-maslows-hierarchy-of-needs-to-work/#uSlwbo17Ic58gMI1.99