Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Style.com- a visual site

The fashion industry is almost entirely visual. Every blog, every site, every magazine, and every advertisement needs visual elements to enhance the point it attempts to portray. Style.com is the online site of fashion magazine "Vogue" and "W." The site is basically the digital translation of the articles and columns of the magazine however the images are essential in creating an aesthetically pleasing and affective site.

The darker blue background of the site paired with white and light blue fonts make the writing pop and the large main image stands out in its distinguished greens while maintaining the cool color tones of the blues and whites. The blue background extends horizontally across the site and serves as a refreshing and interesting template for a site that is not widely used. This mirrors the high fashion and inventive attitude of these magazines and creates a united theme that is communicated through the site. The links are very clear, and attention is drawn to the subscription links for both magazines which is a main focus of the site. If you look at the list of designers on the main page and select one, for example Oscar de la Renta, you are directed to a page with a description of the designers latest collection. While the description is incredibly detailed it is empty without the support of the image that accompanies it. There is also the option to view a slide show of the designers entire collection to get a complete picture.

The images are used to enhance and support the articles of both magazines. Style.com is aware of its audience, its purpose, and its image and therefore is aesthetically successful in its online site.

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