The Motive Web Design Glossary
look-and-feel
Look-and-feel describes the way that branding and communication messages are reflected the design of a website.
‘Look’ relates to the visual design aspects of a website: type-size, page layout, etc.
‘Feel’ relates to the experience of using a website.
For example, when using a website does a person find it to be friendly, formal, helpful or confusing?
There are similarities between website ‘feel’ and the field of ergonomics. Positive feel is often due to a good fit between what a person is seeking to achieve, and how the website works.
Within the science of human-computer interaction (HCI), feel is often discussed in terms of usability.
Factors contributing to look-and-feel
Look-and-feel is affected by (the combination of):
- information architecture,
- navigation
- interface cues,
- tone (writing style),
- layout,
- typography,
- colours,
- and imagery.
call-to-action, interface, navigation, perceived affordance, usability.
References and further reading
- Usability of websites for teenagers (Jacob Neilsen, Useit.com)
31 Jan 2005: Common misconceptions about how teens use the web. - A vernacular web: The indigenous and the barbarians (Olia Lialina)
Hark back to the early days of the personal, visual, web: under construction signs, wallpapers, starry night background images, homepage welcome texts, public domain graphics and more. What can these early forays into web design tell us about the dominant cultures of the day?
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