Design Research - 10 Websites

Ai3
I really enjoyed this website because it was very easy to navigate and the graphic were really cool. I like how the images fade in and out. The pictures themselves were taken with a lot of thought because the angles and the light were interesting and different. Not only do I like their site I also like the work that they have displayed on their portfolio section. The services that they provide are architecture, interior design, product design, and graphics.

Kirksey Architecture
This site is similar to the ai3 site because of the way that the pictures fade in and out. I like that this site has a lot of images in their portfolio section because I really like to see all of what they have done not just a few pictures. They also do a wide verity of services such as commercial, community/religious, education, government, healthcare, residential, etc. I also liked how they have a section about sustainable design. I think that sustainable design is very important and I really like to see design firms that also care.

Perkins + Will
This firm has designed award winning buildings and they are also sustainable designers. Again, I really like to see that firms are being aware of these things when they are designing. The site is easy to navigate and the layout is very simple but nice. The pictures are bright and there are a lot of them which I like and I think it is important to see all the angles. These pictures also fade in and out. Their areas of expertise are commercial, healthcare, education, science and technology. I think that a wide verity of services is a wonderful thing that a design firm can have because it makes them more market able.

Mark Travers
Mark Travers is an architect who founded this firm and it does residential, multi-family, commercial institutional, and land planning design. I really love the houses that they have done I would love to live in one of those. They also have a section for projects that are under construction. I like to see their sketches and the process that he uses to get to his great final projects. The site has a section that has the designer’s profiles and information, this is a good quality to have because you feel like you know them more personally.

J. Hyatt Hammond Associates
I really enjoy this site, everything is really cool. The graphics are great and when you first go to the site there is and intro flash. The also so have a wide rage of services from architecture to graphic design. They have picture of the building and interiors while they are still under construction which I think is an interesting thing to see how things are being done.

James Heilmer
This is one site that I don’t really like; I’m not really sure what it is though. I think that it might be the colors, black and red, that make it not really look inviting. This corporation provides a lot of different services. The effects that happen when you click on pictures are alright and help the site out. They do have a nice page about their mission and I think that is a good quality to have.

Design Styles Inc.
This design firm is smaller then the other sites I’ve looked at. They do residential and commercial designs. The layout of the site is very neat and clean and easy to navigate. They include detailed sketches in their portfolio and yet again I like to see those. A lot of the places that they designed have won awards and they have the ones that have listed. This is a great way to attract clients.

Interior Reflections
This site uses a lot of color and I think that is really nice. They also do remodeling and, reupholster furniture, and custom draperies. They have before and after pictures which are cool to see how they have improved the environments. They also so have a frequently asked questions page and it is nice to see what other people have questions about and if they are the same as yours. The ideas page is really cool too they give suggestions about and ideas about improving your living environment.

David Michael Miller Associates
This site is really nice and I like the feel it has. It has really nice graphics and the layout is cool too. The firm is located in Phoenix Arizona and they provide a vide range of interior design services. The site has a section about their studio and when it was built and where it is located. Their portfolio is very organized and neat. The pictures are on a marquee that scrolls which is unique.

Tucker and Marks
This design firm designs custom interiors for high end residential areas. They have a team of people who all contribute their own special skills to the project. Their portfolio is really impressive and they have some sketches of the stages of their design process from the beginning to the finished product. The pictures fade into the next one like a slideshow which is nice. Their designs have been featured in magazines such as Architectural Digest.