You can always tell which websites have good designers...

As consumers, I feel as if we are often over stimulated.  We see so many images, so many flashing graphics, type sets of words, etc.  It can all be a little bit much.  I prefer web sites that are clean cut, easy to read, and not too busy.

A really good combination of how to combine a lot of information with a design that is aesthetically pleasing is Pinterest.  Since most readers scan and don't read, the way that Pinterest is set up allows viewers/readers to take a closer look if they're interested or to pass over something.  For example, consider the following screen shot.

There's a lot of information on this screen! However, it's all been neatly partitioned into little readable boxes.  The pictures that promise more information have large, easily readable titles.  If I were to click on the pin it would take me to that article or info graphic.  The entire design of this web page appeals to the fact that readers/viewers scan and don't read unless something fully catches their attention.  The primary color, white, gives me an overall impression of cleanliness.  It's tidy, neat but there's still a lot of stuff to sift through if I want.  

Compare that to this CNN screen shot.

First, I hate advertisements.  The entire background is distracting: a bright, in-you-face color that overpowers everything else.  Second: the advertisement takes up most of the screen.  For a news site, that's not what I came to see!  I don't know a single consumer who likes going to a website only to be bombarded with a full screen advertisement.  (The worst ones also have sound.) Then when you click close, it ends up taking you to the advertisements website, which is equally annoying.

The background wall paper has words that are set at a slight angle which also distract from the actual web page.  I want to read about the news, and I can only see one news picture and story.  To the left of the picture is a box of text, but as a reader/viewer I don't read, I scan.  It doesn't jump out on me, and the text of the titles is smaller than the stupid advertisement text.  I keep getting distracted by that!

Get it together CNN...