Musically, it is generally known that Rock ‘n Roll paved the way for hip hop. That’s not the only place where one can link rockstar trends. Have you ever taken a second to think about how Rock ‘n Roll association, can be used to define a fantastic web presence.
Think about it, Rock = bold, clear, unapologetic, memorable, structured, and “In your face”. If you as an individual or a designer aim to produce work that speaks to those mentioned adjectives, you’re almost guaranteed design work that is good. This blog aims to showcase some off my favourite bands/artists websites, linked to awesome design.What better category to focus on than that of epic rock musicians.
2) The Killers
I believe it’s second nature to checkout some of your favourite artists websites, just for the sake of it, The Killers is one of the few bands that promote themselves through imagery, that is not of the actual band members. This is rare yet so effective.
In design, this is one of those golden elements that very few brands understand. You don’t have to communicate directly, using a metaphor or indirect communication can have a much stronger effect. The landing image resembles an image of their latest album cover (hand holding a shell), which technically has nothing to do with with rock music.
The website has one slider image (high resolution and clear), with one simple action (Listen/Purchase). It is simple and direct, as a designer, “simple” and “direct” are the two words that need to describe everything I create.
The subtle use of visual gimmicks is absolutely mind blowing. This refers to a design element, used with text to emphasise on a word or simply staying up to date with the latest design trends. The transparent rectangle going across “Wonderful Wonderful, Out Now”, is one of many design trends, everyone has been using from 2016 to date.
2) Linkin Park
First of all, the responsive slider on this website has me appreciating the band even more. This header image has such a subtle responsiveness, aligned with your mouse or trackpad movement. This is a refreshing feature. The website does not have top menu navigation, however, the menu can be accessed on the right hand side bar, and on the bottom footer, because it’s Linkin Park, this is a credible subtlety, that can somehow be linked to design if I tried hard enough.
This website is not particularly mind blowing, but it would be unforgivable, not to have LP on this list, purely because of their legacy and emotional influence. Having such inspirational influence is a good quality to possess, not particularly in design, but overall as an individual.
3) Rihanna
I know what you’re thinking, Is Rihanna even a rockstar? Quite frankly she is, and here’s why. Her concert in Rio, 2015 , was titled “ Rock in Rio Brazil”, which consisted of electric guitars , iconic drum intro’s, and whipping of hair round and round to the tune of the guitar. She even has a song called “Rockstar 101” stating, “I am a rockstar”, from her “Rated R” album, released in 2009 which was the introductory song, of the the entire concert.
This is not the point, the point is, Rihanna’s website has web designers thinking, “wow”. Riri, is know for breaking the rules, the first broken rule found on this website was, no introductory image. There is no header image, with a call to action, as found on most sites, regardless of the industry.
I’ve taken from this is that, one does not need to follow all the rules. Who’s to say there’s a specific way to design your website? NOT having a header image directs me to more information about the site, without wasting my time with a beautiful picture, serving the purpose of “grabbing ones attention”. Why not just get straight to the point?
A slanting line, appears across each of the menu tabs, when active. It is great being able to see design trends, actioned, for inspirational purposes. This is a content heavy website, but represented in a digestible way. This is a great tip for designers.
4) Fallout Boy
This site, opens with a purple-ish header , then as you scroll, you start to experience parallax after parallax after parallax. A parallax effect is when the background image moves slower than the foreground text as you scroll,creating an illusion of depth.
This makes the user experience so much more fun, it’s almost like a game, you just want to keep on scrolling. In design, particularly web design, the user experience reigns supreme, all else is secondary . Let’s not forget the unity found on this site, everything ties in together, through colour and theme.
5) Paramore
This website has a strong entrance. As you enter, you just want to see what comes up next as what would normally be an image, is a moving video. The video, does not require you to press a play button, it just plays. The band members are represented completely out of context, as though they are hosting a TV Show. This context makes the site more memorable and striking.
The word, paramore, is also animated, on the same page, which makes the user conscious of the rhythm, which ultimately remains embedded within our memory. When designing a visual, you want the visual to possess the power of being memorable. Animating it, is a quick fix, and almost guarantees memorability.
Web Design is a great platform for designers to showcase their skill of visualisation. It is simply a platform to apply design knowledge, and communicate visually. If you don’t know where to start looking for the latest design trends, you don’t have to look too far, just visit your favourite artists site, I’m sure you will find something that you can “borrow” and apply within your own work.
