The two sites I chose to explore and compare were peterallens.com and burgatorybar.com. Both sites have very different layouts that pertain to their target audiences’, and create the atmosphere of their restaurants. Peter Allen’s is a high-class authentic Italian restaurant, while Burgatory is a sleek and comfortable gourmet burger joint. The layout of their websites express the feeling each is trying convey.
Both sites open up to a homepage with a slideshow in the center, and a navigation bar either across the top or along the right side. The nav bars allow the user to hover over different tabs that open up to lists of available pages in order to access more information. They both possess balance throughout the site, functioning with ease. Each has a number of pictures followed by descriptions and information. Unity is found in Peter Allen’s by using an italian inspired color scheme of reds whites and greens. Burgatory uses a color scheme of browns and reds that pair extremely nicely. The use of a distressed background gives the site a rustic feel that matches their restaurant very well. Together these two sites have very different layouts, but each works in its own way. Peter Allen’s has an extended drop down menu that requires you to scroll the full length of the page. Burgatory has a very condensed site that requires minimal scrolling. Everything there is at your fingertips, making it simple to maneuver. Following Krug’s 5 important things Burgatory thrives by making everything visually clear, organzing the main areas and tabs, and making the clickable areas very obvious. Peter Allen’s on the other hand is a job to navigate, scrolling to the bottom of the page and back up over and over again, and not knowing what to click and what not to click.
In my personal opinion Burgatory is a more effective website. The format of the site is so simplified that anyone can use it, it instructs you were you can find everything without confusion, and it holds your attention with witty remarks and punny jokes which I thoroughly enjoy. Its decompressed nav bar makes navigating the site very easy. The way the site is set up shows the actual vibe of the restaurant itself and gives you a taste of what you can expect your experience there to be like.