The competition I am choosing is Park Pizza and Cream. (http://www.parkpizzacream.com/) It is located on Forbes Ave. in Pittsburgh.
The layout of the site is different from most websites I have been on. The main element of normalcy is that the navigation is located on the left. The base of the website is a scrolling background of pictures of pizza that you can click through. The next layer is he actual content screen that has the description of whichever navigation tab you are selected on. The top and final layer is the fixed navigation with the logo in the top left. The layout is simple and easily understood and easily recognized for the user.
The color of the website is driven by the logo and the use of pictures of pizza. the navigation and content layers are black and white otherwise. The pictures of the pizza are very colorful with the different vegetables and meats that are on top of the pizza. The mix of these different toppings actually create a very interesting color palette because the content and navigation layers have a certain amount of transparency. The camera shots are close-ups and medium shots interchanged to create even more interest. The other dynamic of color is created by the logo itself. The logo’s colors are red, green, red, brown, yellow, and white. These colors match very well with the scrolling pizza, but at the same time it also stands out because of where it’s placed and the background of the fixed black navigation.
The different layer components give the website a very interesting texture as well. The farther left your eyes go on the website, the higher the website seems to be because of the use of layering. This immediately draws your attention to the logo and the navigation, and then it draws your eyes right towards the content. The creation and use of texture using layers was very well done. Due to the movement, it also has a very smooth feel to the way the website moves thanks to a creative use of jquery.
The navigation for the site is relatively standard. It is a fixed navigation bar on the left with three main options, with a sub-menu in the “menu” tab. The “menu” tab has five sub-menu options. With the mount of unused space in the menu bar, it is interesting to note that the extra space was not used with the sub-menu options. The other use of navigation appears at the bottom right of the screen. This navigation is simply two small arrows that allow you to scroll through the different pictures of pizza. This subtle navigation is easy gives the user more control over the site. Both uses of navigation combined with the layout style easily guides users through the site.
Ultimately, their website is generally pretty effective. I believe that our website is better for many different reasons. For starters, our logo is much better. Their logo does not combine the two ideas of pizza and ice cream as well as ours does. The use of background images also does not support their idea because it only ever shows pizza and never any ice cream. Our website will stand out because of the true fusion of these ideas, beginning with the opening screen that gives you an option to control your layout color and style. The ice cream menu is also very confusing. While Park Pizza and cream is very effective in selling pizza, I think they forgot about the ice cream part. The website, while being very “cool” is also slightly confusing. If I’ve learned anything in this class, that is that we don’t want people to think! Our site is very simple, easy, and self explanatory which is optimal for any website. Park Pizza however, doesn’t quite fit this mold. The pizza and ice cream menus on our site are very similar looking, while Park Pizza’s is not. This lack of cohesion also creates confusion that our site makes clear from a menu standpoint. While both of our sites use Google maps, I do not believe that Park Pizza’s use is as effective because it is placed in the background instead of as a main focus. All in all, both websites are very good, but Giovanni’s Pizza Pies and Creamy Dreams edges out Park Pizza and Cream in every category. Park Pizza makes us think, and Giovanni’s does not. It’s that simple.