Irresistible Websites Part Three: Textures
August 25, 2008
Since the early days of the web, designers have looked for ways to improve on the very flat nature of the medium. Textures are one way to create depth without a site becoming very graphics-heavy. The third part in this series on irresistible websites looks at the use of textures and layering as appealing design features.
Min Tran’s blog
Hand painted flowers on stitched leather, overlaid with a leather scroll; Min Tran has created a design which is warm, complex and beautifully executed.
Cool Showcase
Warm colours and uneven surfaces continue as a theme in this gallery of digital art.
Ernest Hemingway Collection
The design of this site is a composite of several design trends: woodgrain background, worn parchment, scattered personal items viewed from above.
Theatro Circo
The gilded furnishings of a grand theatre are recreated in the header and sidebar menu, and rounded out beautifully in the site’s footer.
nickstedt
What could be more familiar or reassuring than a comfortable sweater? The attention to detail in this site (the title graphic imitates embroidered stitching) means it won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
Pain is good
Parchment and torn fabric, overlaid with a grunge-style distressed halftone pattern, combine to spice up (sorry) this irreverent site for chilli fans.
Greenville Symphony Orchestra
Watercolour paints on parchment is the technique employed here. Suggested by inspirationbit
Bern Unlimited
Torn paper or cardboard edges are one of the key features of grunge style on the web. Tutorials abound on how to achieve the look in Photoshop, but Bern Unlimited decided to go one better and destroy a real cardboard box.
While texture is an effective way of creating depth, its use in web design also evokes particular moods or sensations. Textured websites are either edgy (think of grunge style in web design) or comforting. Some designs, like Min Tran’s, manage to achieve both. Would you like to share a website which has an amazing use of texture, for inclusion on the list? Please let me know in the comments section below.
Next in the Series
The theme for my next post on Irresistible Websites is Energy: design elements which not only create a particular style but also generate their own atmosphere, whether exciting, moody or somewhere in between. Be sure to subscribe and catch the rest of the series!
- Irresistible Websites Part One: Lush
- Irresistible Websites Part Two: Playful
- Irresistible Websites Part Three: Textures
If you want to be notified the next time I write something, subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting.
Comments
13 responses to “Irresistible Websites Part Three: Textures”
Please share your thoughts
Wow nice list! That first one looks great!
This series is getting better and better, great inspiration and resources
I agree: Min Tran’s site is a classy design and very inspiring.
John G:
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the series! I’ve learned a lot from putting it together, and I’ll talk more about that in the next post.
There are some really beautiful sites here. Min Tran’s blog is really lovely!
Looks like you’ve already picked up on the things I liked best! The embroidery, real cardboard box… great stuff.
You’re right. Textures, when they’re done well, really “lift” a web page, don’t they?
kristarella:
I must be reading your mind ;-)
Hi Tracy, just found your site. Enjoyed this post….textured sites can really show a designers creativity and thought put into a site….love to get inspiration from sites like this.
You’ve got a new subscriber…take care!
Great to see you here :) I think the bar is getting higher and higher all the time for creativity in web design, and it’s exciting to watch and take note of what’s happening.
Another great selection of sites.
I love the “Pain is good” site. I’ve found that textured sites seem to be quite dark or have an orange/brown tinge and it’s nice to see one a little different.
Lucinda - eightyone design’s last blog post … VW Camper Van Logo Designs
wow, what a great selection of sites here. I haven’t seen Min Tran’s blog before, it’s absolutely ravishing, I really like that leather texture.
I’m also really enjoying this series, Tracey, great job.
How about a watercolour texture? I like how it looks on Greenvile Symphony Orchestra site
I’d recommend you to use WP In Series plugin, so that the list of links to the previous and next articles in the series would automatically appear.
It’s interesting isn’t it, how popular the browns and earth tones are for colour schemes lately.
inspirationbit:
Thanks for suggesting the Greenville Symphony Orchestra site - I’ve now included it in the lineup.
I’m about to check out WP in Series because that sounds very useful. Thanks for the tip.
oh, you’re very welcome. And thanks for the credit ;)
I would love to see a selection of great grudge designs. Parts 1-3 have been great.Great job.Cant wait to see the others.