Ben Hunt's post on Scratch.com highlights a variety of websites from many different industries. He lists a few websites that would make my top-ten list (Apple.com, and Corkd.com) but there were a few that I either disagreed with (Mozilla.com) or am undecided on (Circografico.com.ar).
Starting with what I agreed with, Apple.com (and yes, I am an Apple fan, not quite a fanboy, but I am a fan) is a fantastically clean looking website. Each time I go to their site, I am greeted by a simple yet effective ad highlighting one of their new products, as well as a clean horizontal navigation bar and plenty of white space that lets my eyes flow through the page effortlessly. With Corkd.com, I was immediately drawn to its simple look. It looks classic with a simple 2 column design, simple embellishments beneath the headings and each section is nicely framed. I have never used Cork'd, nor do I frequent the site since I do not drink, but from a design perspective, it is beautiful.
I disagree with having Mozilla.com on the list because I have always had issues with navigation on their site. The add-on section, while being a great resource for making Firefox your own, is difficult for finding what you need. I guess that from a design perspective, which is how I should be looking at their site, it is gorgeous. It integrates a beautiful background that adds color to the site without detracting from the content. You know, forget about any negatives that I had to say about Mozilla.com. My beef is with things on the back-end, not with the design of the site.
I am actually reviewing Circografico.com.ar right now. After clicking on a few of the links, I must say that I am in love with its design. It doesn't take any investigation to determine what the purpose of the site is. My favorite section is the portfolio which displays each piece so cleanly, yet does not stray from the key design elements of the site (the navigation bar, the paper elements in the background and the footer). My one complaint is that from the front page, the arrow in the featured illustration acts as a link to the portfolio, but if you are viewing a piece from the portfolio, clicking the same arrow does not link back to the portfolio, but instead links to the next portfolio piece, which offers some inconsistency. But all in all, it is a fabulously beautiful site.
I couldn't quite discuss this list without throwing in a couple of my own. I used to love YouTube until a video streaming site came along that is both beautiful and easy to navigate, Hulu.com. Hulu has plenty of white space, an easy to use navigation bar, and a logo that meshes very well with the site. Another site that makes my list is Mashable.com. It is a blog that serves as a guide to social media and does a good job of emulating some of the best features of sites like Twitter and Facebook. And last, who can forget Google? Their site is clean and simple, yet so very full of easy to find and use functionality. As I begin to delve into web design, it is good to know that I have a lot of great sites out there to look to for inspiration.
