For this monthly review I decided to talk about Manolo Blahnik and The Frye Company. I’ll start with Manolo Blahnik. One of the first things I noticed about this page was its elegance and the photograph of the hand making the shoe on the homepage. I am all about authentic, which is what it looks like you will get with this certain designer/company. The site has a clean elegant look to it and the layout is very simple. It has a small navigation menu on the right and the images pop up on the right. I was a little confused at first not knowing what to click because the links did not show that they were being hovered over or were even clickable. Once I clicked on a link it branched out to another column and this repeats for how many links there are. This is a nice feature because it shows where you have been and the links you clicked to get there if you need to go back a few steps. Another important feature for me is to be able to click the home page and it takes me there, which this site has. However, one thing I wish the site did have is a search bar. For me this is a new designer/company so the search bar was not necessary but had i been familiar with it, the search would make finding what you want easier. One other thing I would change is the color of the “Manolo Blahnik” name on the homepage, and every page after. For the homepage it is ok but it gets a little lost on the others. Changing the placement of the name would probably make the site less balanced, so changing the color would not only add emphasis to the name, but would not break the layout.

The page is all enclosed in a rectangle in the center of the page with grey background. The balance of this page is what adds to its elegant layout and really puts the emphasis on the shoes because they are mostly all bright colors surrounded by grey. With the exception of the site not having a search bar, I think the website would pass the “trunk test.” You are able to know what site you are on, as well as the page. The sections break down and the section you are in on the page is highlighted in a different color, which also helps with the “you are here” indicators. The audience of this site would be targeted to more of a high end type of person based off of the hand drawn shoes and their unique patterns.

The Frye Company was my favorite out of all the sites. The photography and soft brown leather color drew me in immediately. Like Manolo Blahnik, authenticity is the name of the game. The look of the page is very simplistic, busy (in a good, non-distracting way), and user friendly all at the same time. I love tabs. I like seeing everything all in one place and seeing what tab I clicked on. The tabs make it easy for anyone to use. The use of photography on this site is beautiful and eye popping as well as the leather-looking background. In terms of balance, the colors and filters on the photographs work very well together- looks very country. It has a very fun energy. The video on the “On The Road” page is very fun and grabs the user’s attention as well as showcases beautiful photography/videography skills with the authenticity of the leather shoes and boots. It makes me want a pair of their shoes. The tabs drop down into the different sections and the shoes you click on show up in a centered box, making it the focus. There is also a section to not only search, but refine your search. This is very helpful when you have such a big site and know exactly what you are looking for. The placement of the logo in the upper left-hand corner is noticeable and subtle (which is a good thing – it’s not invisible or overbearing) and has a hand-drawn feel to it; which adds to the site’s overall look. The emphasis stays on the products. Everything on this site works so well together; layout, emphasis, balance, and unity.

With the photographs and products showcased in the center of the page, it helps to really look at the site and be able to zoom in on the products. Without a doubt this site would pass the “trunk test.” You know what site you are on; you know the page you are on; the sections further break down to show what you clicked on to get to that point; the “you are here” indicator could maybe have a smaller navigation bar, but the section still stays highlighted in the tabs menu; and there is a search bar. The products seem like they are again targeted to someone not on a college budget, but the site altogether can be targeted to really anyone.