Thank you very much uptowngirl for your endorsement of Kerry's site. I'm the webmaster and designer and appreciate the accolades! (shameless plug but then some useful info after)
Other sites...
http://www.marissajaretwinokur.nethttp://www.johnhillonline.comhttp://www.michellepirret.comhttp://www.donnalynnechamplin.comhttp://www.lizcaplan.comhttp://www.mediarightproductions.comhttp://www.laurencampbell.tv The following is something I posted over a year ago on a newsgroup when someone posed the question about what makes a good "site".
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Well, as a graphic designer (and also web), here's my input on this matter..I will say upfront that I am not deeming myself an expert in any way... but these are my thoughts...
- Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean you SHOULD. Meaning, just because you can do fancy flash animations, scrolling text, blinking graphics, frames, ebmedded audio, etc doesn't mean you should. I would take a simple clean site over an amazing display of technology any day.
- A performers website should be their "home" -- it should represent them both in style and content. An off-beat, quirky site is not going to work for a performer who is straight laced and dramatic. Conversely, someone who is considered quirky, fun-loving, etc really shouldn't have a website that looks like it's a mortuary. Also, the purpose of the site is important to define. Is it a professional site, a marketing venue, a dedication to fans -- what is the goal?
- You should really never be more than 2-3 clicks away from the information the audience wants/needs. The web is still a short attention span medium (yes we can all surf for hours..and if it's a great site, even more so) -- but generally...people go to a site and want to get their information asap.
- Actual architecture of a site should be browser friendly -- a good designer will ensure this. Meaning that all pages and functions of the website appear the same in all browsers. Many times, this is easier said than done.. those who don't know the differences between netscape and IE and their quirks would be surprised at how tricky this can be.
- Load time -- even though we are in the age of high speed, pages should still be designed with the slowest connection in mind (and also the lowest screen resolution). This can sometimes be impossible, based on the content needed to be displayed... but in short -- graphics, etc should be optimized
as best they can.
- Uniformity in design. A site should have consistancy. Same colors, fonts (and not dozens of them), etc. Exceptions apply of course. For example, a site I designed has a "main" site, which is the professional side of a performer, and then a whole other breakout section devoted to the fans. But, each section is uniform unto itself.
I could go on, and if anyone is interested, feel free to email me. I think it's important for the performer to be involved in the creation and content of their own site. Many official sites were/are fan sites that the performer just said "sure... it can be official". It makes a world of difference when the performer is actually involved continuously in the project.
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men" - Willy Wonka