[Design] Rules are made to be broken
Category: Design... Photography...
Posted Friday, August 10, 2007 at 10:22 AM [GMT-6]

Matthew Mahon's photography website breaks just about every rule in the Good Book of Usable Design:

  • Its navigation scheme is non-intuitive because, frankly, it doesn't have one. Visitors have no way of knowing where they're going when they click a link...if they can even find a link to click.
  • It's 100% Flash and thus search-engine unfriendly. And good luck surfing it on an iPhone.
  • The animations and most of the text could be termed third-graderish, except that would give third graders a bad name.

The website also resulted in $100,000 of new business in its first year, by estimation of the photographer. Considering it cost him only $12,000, one can conclude that rules aren't always what they're cracked up to be.

This is another website mentioned in this month's edition of Layers Magazine, in the article focusing on photographers' sites. Mahon's site was built by the two guys who run the design studio of WEFAIL (the studio name and their own website quickly communicate that you're not in Kansas anymore, design-wise, as it contains profanity as well as content that is borderline pornographic, an approach that sets some definite sideboards regarding its prospective clientèle), and every pixel was placed with conscious purpose.

And it works. I spent way more time than I had browsing through the site last Wednesday evening. Despite the unconventional presentation, it does a fine job of presenting Mahon's work and his outlook, which, apparently, is equally important to art directors seeking to hire free-lance shooters.

I'm tempted to let you figure out how to work the site on your own, but I value my visitors' time, so here are a few steps to flatten the learning curve:

  • Click on any image to zoom in.
  • Click on white space to zoom out.
  • If a scary little head appears in the lower right corner of an image, click on it to see a video of the photographer and his assistant offering commentary – which may or may not elucidate or edify – about the photo.
  • If a curved arrow appears in the lower right corner of an image, click to flip the image, which reveals supplementary text of varying usefulness.

And don't blame me if you get caught up in this site. It's not against the rules to have fun with it, you know.

Technorati tags: |

Permalink
Comments

I kinda' like mine......you can actually read stuff on it.
Gold Dog Imaging

Posted by: Wallace at August 10, 2007 11:50 PM

20 some years ago I took a course in software engineering, leading to the question if Microsoft (OK, Apple) actually prove that their programs work according to software engineering principles. (It would take a huge amount of time to do that, it it were even possible.) That of course leads to a similar conclusion why prove that it works if it sells.

Posted by: soccer dad at August 14, 2007 11:10 AM

I imagine the reason the site is so successful is that visiting it is a bit like hunting easter eggs or playing Myst. You have to stick around for a while just to figure out how to get anything out of it.

Posted by: Foo at August 14, 2007 09:15 PM

Strangely addictive. :) Although I question the wisdom of naming your web design company "We fail", I guess it works.

Posted by: Denise at August 15, 2007 08:55 PM
Post a comment [Take your time...we're in no hurry.]
Note: You must provide either a website URL or an email address...but there's no rule that says you have to tell the truth. If you don't want your email address published on this site, just input a website URL, or make up an email address.









Remember personal info?