Some of my favorite sites

I'm on the computer everyday but I rarely search outside of a handful of sites (unless I'm doing research). Here are 3 that interest me the most:

Flickr

I have a moderate interest in photography, and Flickr easily allows me to view and share my thoughts. The plain white background makes it easy to identify the blue, pink, and black text. Headings stand out with large text. Photographs are laid out in a grid format with thumbnails linking to a larger image, making it easier to navigate and find something you like. There isn't much of a logo but the colors act as sort of a trademark; the simple white background with blue, pink, and black text is consistent throughout. I feel the target audience here is mainly photographers but anyone with a general interest in photography might find this site useful.

Overall the design of the site works well with it's purpose, to upload and share photographs with the world. The simplicity of the site gives more attention to what is really important: the content.

GameTrailers

I enjoy video games. I began playing at the start of this generation's major consoles such as the PS3 and Wii. The video game industry has grown rapidly the past few years and as such magazines and websites were formed to keep people up to date on the latest video game news. GameTrailers works well as news site. A majority of the content is visual (for obvious reasons) and the videos are easily accessible. The front page contains a secondary navigation bar with sections being broken up into consoles so that you can immediately find what you want. However it isn't as prominent as it should be; it's easily drowned out by the video reel at the center displaying all of the latest uploads. This works in this case though, since people visiting the site are mainly here to see the latest in gaming news.

Overall the site can feel a little to cluttered at times with an overload of information being crammed into the page but it has great content.

deviantART

DevianART is somewhat similar to Flickr in the way it presents it's content. The difference lies in devianART's emphasis on selling prints and merchandise via artist uploads. DeviantART isn't focused on one particular aspect of art, therefore it must be easy for people to find what they want. This problem is solved with a side bar full of information such as categories and prints as well as a search bar right at the top left screen. I feel they did a great job with having this information readily available as soon as you enter the site. Most of the headers and text are contained in a box making it easy to read and notice. One thing that has bothered me every time I visit is the fact that one of the most interesting parts of the site, the daily deviation, is included all the way in the footer and can thus be overlooked at times, which defeats the whole purpose of artwork worthy enough to be displayed on the front page.

Overall the layout of the design is simple and easy to navigate, without too much content or ads filling up the page.