After reading chapter 6 of “Don’t Make Me Think,” I started browsing for a pair of local restaurants to compare and contrast and I came across the Fat Head’s Brewery website and I was immediately impressed by their simple and effective home page. Automatically, I was drawn to the emphasized large, circle logos that take up most of the room on the page. The layout is simple, yet genius with very minimal text while achieving easy navigation by giving the user the option to choose the location they want to indulge in. Once you choose your location, it takes you to a location-specific page with the same theme and a similar layout to the homepage. Along the top and bottom are subtitles that will take you to more subpages, such as Menu, Beer, Gift cards, etc. To add to the overall composition and layout, located in the middle of the page is a slideshow of pictures that is visually and aesthetically pleasing. Another effective choice is that each page is clearly labeled with headings and subheadings that gives the user a sense of location throughout the site. For example, if the user is on the Pittsburgh page, and they click on the button labeled ‘Beer,’ the big circle logo has moved to the left side and the header becomes a large heading labeled ‘Fat Head’s Craft Beers’ and this composition is repeated through each tab on the navigation bar. Each page is well balanced and keeps the same theme throughout all of the subpages. The content is well organized and easy to navigate while being nested in the correct locations.
In comparison to Fat Head’s, The Cheesecake Factory takes a somewhat different, but similar approach to their website by maintaining the style and theme throughout all the pages by making sure the layout is tight and balanced. The first thing the user notices is the emphasized large slideshow of pictures to show the food that they serve and showcase their specials. The layout is very simple and organized and allows the user to browse each of the tabs at the top of the page in the navigation bar (Menu, Locations, Gift cards, etc.). On each page, the title of the restaurant is shown so the user knows what site they are at, but the subtitle is not large or emphasized, so in order to find out what subpage the user is on, they must read, or think, to know where they are. For example, when the user is on the ‘Menu’ page, the next heading shown on the page is in large, red font reads ‘Welcome’ which would be more effective if the heading read ‘Menu’ to ensure a taste of location security instead of questioning the button accuracy. The contained content is well organized in subcategories along the left side (Menu page) and makes it easy for the user to click on exactly what they want.
Overall, both websites have a unique approach to organizing and emphasizing their spaces. Both websites offer different strengths and weaknesses, but I believe that Fat Head’s is a more effective, functional website because of their stylized labeled headings and subheadings on each of their subpages. Fat Head’s websites provides a more homey collective atmosphere while achieving a functional and interesting layout and design. In brief, each site brings something different to the table, but at the end of the day, The Cheesecake Factory proves that you cannot have your cheesecake and eat it too.
http://www.thecheesecakefactory.com