Irresistible Websites Part Two: Playful Sites
August 18, 2008
When it comes to web style, playful is very, very popular. Cartoonish vector landscapes, cuter-than-cute site mascots and retro typography are popping up all over the place. And it’s not only the designers who are having fun: Flash and Javascript, when used well, can also create an interactive space which compels you to keep clicking.
Hanky Panky
A beautifully designed Flash site, with one of the best (and most appropriate) pre-loaders I’ve seen in a long time. Hanky Panky makes the most of the playful opportunities provided by its product lines: lingerie and women’s underwear.
Wordprezzie
The retro styling, the name (a play on Wordpress and “prezzie” – a diminutive for present) and the vector image of the crying child add up to some very enticing packaging.
Banjax
Another site making use of cartoon-style vector imagery to grab attention. Vector landscapes are growing in popularity and are very effective for attracting site traffic.
The New York Moon
An online magazine with a layout that evokes cosy nostalgia.
Tomas Pojeta
I wish I could show you more of this portfolio site’s graphic background, but that’s what Tomas Pojeta’s navigation is designed for. You’ll have to visit to see for yourself.
Melissa Hie
Another portfolio site employing a unique navigational technique to gain attention.
diazmedia
If the image of the spacewalking gorilla isn’t playful enough, diazmedia have provided another three fun themes for you to explore. A very well designed site.
Playful takes a wide range of forms, as these examples show. To create a website which really works on this level requires not just technical and design ability, but creative thinking and a very good understanding of your target audience. Have you seen any sites which you think should join this list? Please leave your suggestions in the comments below.
Next in the Series
The theme for my next post on Irresistible Websites is Textures: sites which look good enough to touch. Be sure to subscribe and catch the rest of the series!
11 Responses to “Irresistible Websites Part Two: Playful Sites”
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[...] Irresistible Websites Part 2 . [...]
I love The New York Moon and Pojeta… that second one is so clever and very unique. I almost missed the top though. I wouldn’t have thought to scroll up!
I think apart from minimalist, playful designs are one of my favourites.
kristarella’s last blog post … Thesis theme
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Hey Tracey, thanks for including us!
Stephen’s last blog post … HTML5 Reading Material
kristarella:
I agree about Tomas Pojeta’s site, and it’s interesting too that the “starting” position for the site is located in the middle.
Stephen:
My pleasure. Thank you for stopping by!
Hi Tracey, thanks for featuring our site. You’ve picked out some great design and innovation there.
Thank you for your appreciation.The idea of my website is that the Czech speaking people can suggest what should appear in the design. I then choose from their ideas and put them on my website. I thought it would be fun for people to join in the creative process.
Wow these are some great examples. I like Tomas Pojeta’s in particular. Great design and navigation!
Hayley:
Thanks for the great feedback. There’s a big trend right now to having cute vector characters and retro style on websites; I felt that Wordprezzie handles these features in a simple and very effective way.
Tomas:
It’s great to have your explanation of what you’re doing with the site. This is the first time I’ve come across an interactive portfolio site. Congratulations for coming up with the idea and putting it into practice, and I hope it gets a really good response.
Webdesign Meppel:
I’m glad you like the list, and I agree with your thoughts about Tomas Pojeta’s site.
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