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Your Website: Clarifying What You Want Visually

Updated Feb 2006
A lot has been written on how to effectively organize websites. However, when it comes to the look and feel of a site, it can be devilishly difficult to communicate to your web designer what you want. The brief quiz/guided tour below can help you to identify your basic preferences, so you can communicate them effectively.

For each point below, compare the examples and see if you have a strong preference either way. Try to concentrate on the design aspect that's being discussed, rather than other factors that may influence your overall impression of the example site.

As you view the sample sets, you may find that you don't have a strong preference for one alternative in a set. This can be good to know—if you don't care either way about a specific aspect of the site's "look", it gives your web designer more creative leeway. If you do care, however, you should definitely make your preferences known.


Photorealistic or Not?
The presence or lack of photographs can be a defining factor in the look of a website. Compare these three examples:
Uses Photos
Abstract Graphic Design
Essentially Image-Free


Unique Home Page or Not?
Some sites have a Home page that looks distinctly different than the rest. On other sites, the Home page has the same structure, color, and layout as the other pages. Compare and see if you have a preference.
Unique Home Page
Home Page Like All Others


Dark Text on Light Background or Light Text on Dark?
Compare the two examples below and see if you have a strong preference toward light text on a dark background, or dark text on light. Note: in general, large amounts of light text may be hard to read. Many sites that use a Home page with a dark background switch to dark text on light background for all the other pages.
Dark on Light
Light on Dark


Sparsely Filled or Busy Home Page?
Some sites have a Home page that lists just about everything; others are decidedly minimalist. Compare and see if you have a preference.
Sparse Home Page
Busy Home Page


Traditional or Techno?
A huge number of our everyday gadgets—everything from cars to cell phones— are packaged in sleek shapes and metallic colors. Compare these two sites, and see if you prefer a 'techno' look, or a more traditional one.
Techno Look
Traditional Look


In looking at the above sample sets, you've probably developed some awareness of what you like and don't like in web design. If you surf the web with the above factors in mind, you'll become even more aware of your preferences. Then, when the time comes to get a new site or update your existing one, you'll be in a good position to give your web designer some solid direction as to the look and feel you want to achieve.