Throughout 2014, the StrategiQ team have been making their picks for their top 5 favourite websites each week. We’ve discovered some great sites and are now pleased to share our top 10 favourites with you.
2014’s best site is…
1. Jova Construction
Jova Construction was chosen in Week 17 of the Website of the Week Awards and was picked for its light and airy persona which is present throughout the site. Interactive and visually stimulating without ever appearing overcrowded, the site is an excellent fusion of design and functionality, which reflects its statement: “The second generation, which is leading the company today, is passionate about design, art and integrated technology”. This site was a worthy winner.
2. Victoria Beckham
The second site of 2014 on our list is the website of Victoria Beckham. This was easily the best shopping experience that we encountered in 2014, with shoppers given the two distinct options of LOOK or SHOP. LOOK reveals a generous selection of stills and videos from Victoria Beckham’s creations on the catwalk and in the studio, whilst the SHOP section uses minimal design to foreground its beautiful products and create a simple shopping experience.
3. Peugeot HYbrid4
This interactive website was one of the cleverest parallax sites that we encountered. Picked in Week 4, the site is built to work as a moving comic book. The integration of sound alongside the moving imagery is spectacular, especially when considering how the sound is controlled by a user’s scrolling. We were enthused by how Peugeot’s site breaks the monotony of the websites that solely use static imagery and information to become a fun piece of design.
4. Ferrari
Our most recent winner, picked in Week 22, the Ferrari site represents the ultimate in high end products. Ferrari’s incredible websites really impressed us in its use of moving imagery and video content, which really showcased the brand. The slick typography also adds to the site, whilst the user journey placed parallel to the manufacturing of the car helps to give the site and the product itself a really personal feel.
5. Visage
The triumphant winner of Week 13 was the Visage website. The site’s massive success across a number of fields was what really made this site stand out to us. It’s use of video and navigation are the most notable points of this, with simplicity being the key theme of the site. Slick imagery throughout characterised by the inspirational hero image of a mountain range only add further power to the site.
6. Flat Vs Realism
The winner of Week 16 was a clever and quirky parallax site which worked to highlight the ongoing battle in the design world between flat design and realism. The site told a story about the battle between the two mediums through some enjoyable cartoon characters, making the most of sound and animation throughout the scrolling journey. An impressive battle sequence is another nice addition to the site which draws the tale to a close in an enjoyable manner.
7. A Spacecraft For All
In week 15, this winner was a very visionary site, which is enjoyably interactive. The site follows the ISEE-3, a spacecraft launched to study the Sun in 1978. The mixture of animation and real life footage to chart the craft’s extraordinary journey is the key to the individuality of the site. An impressive system of 360 interactivity is a real time waster
8. Direnduvar
The Direnduvar website was the winner of the Website of the Week in week 7, based on an extraordinary display of innovation. Responding to protests in Gezi Park in Turkey, the Direnduvar website was set up as an area for people to share their messages. Whilst the content is not of a particularly high quality, the sheer volume and enormity of the site is what makes it special and gives it real character.
9. The Shard
Week 10’s winner was the official website of the Shard, which was characterised by the imagery of one of Britain’s most iconic structures. Towering above the London landscape, the incredible Shard has become a symbol of progress and prosperity throughout the capital. The site’s usage of white space helps to really draw attention to the awe-inspiring site of the Shard structure. The site was a worthy winner of the competition.
10. Bulgari
The final site on the Best of 2014 was an extremely aspirational brand which won the award in week 5 of our awards. The site reflects the pinnacle of shopper aspirations, with words such as ‘glamorous’, ‘luxurious’ or ‘indulgent’ characterising what the site is about. Its simple user journey and aesthetic design more than make up for what the site lacks in innovation, with sharp imagery and brand synergy clear throughout.
Do you have a site you want us to look at?
Every week, the StrategiQ team are looking for their favourite websites – so tweet at us or email us a suffolk@strategiq.co to get featured!
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