As a web designer I routinely find myself using sites that are perfectly functional, but are not a pleasure to look at. Sometimes it’s simply a choice of font that drives me up the wall, or more often than not their entire brand is so outdated and hideous that I feel like whipping up a quick redesign and saying “HERE! Just take it, no really, it’s on the house!”.
Well, today I decided to start doing just that. Once a month I will be publishing a series called “Complimentary Comps” where I feature a fresh new design for a website that is in desperate need of a facelift. But with so many sites to choose from, where do I start?
The Criteria
I decided to choose websites that:
- I frequently use or believe in
- Are not wildly popular
- Could truly benefit from a redesign
The Main Goal
My main objective here is not to completely overhaul their user experience, but rather to simply provide a modern facelift they can easily integrate. I may end up suggesting some basic information architecture changes, but overall the new design should be easily implemented into their current system.
Why am I doing this for free?
A long time ago I realized that I thoroughly enjoy designing websites – it’s one of the few processes that transports me into a Zen state of mind. I don’t expect anyone to implement or even like my ideas, but I’ll gladly help out if they do. In the end, it’s all about the exercise and refining my process. Practice makes perfect!
3 Comments
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Jacob Sokol says: December 19, 2010 at 7:55 amThis is a super cool idea dude – good shtuf!! -=)
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Mike Bridgman says: December 19, 2010 at 9:14 am
Thanks man! I just hope people receive it well, gotta craft my constructive criticism carefully
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Franco says: November 7, 2011 at 4:08 pm
Hey Mike!
I’d love to talk more about some website makeover stuff. I saw what you did with Nerd Fitness and thought you did an awesome job. I’ll shoot you an email, but props on your cool trip you’re in the middle of. If you swing through Nashville soon, please let me know.
All the best,
Franco
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