Before creating my website I want to look at other sites and distinguish good features that i'll try and incorporate in to my website for Scala, but also I want to identify websites that also have bad features so I no what to avoid.
1) The first website I looked at that was from an indie/rock genre which is from the band Arctic Monkeys.
This is the home page the style and block colours goes with the theme of indie / rock which the band are. The picture of the band is a good way for fans to identify them with the music. What appeals to me is the music video on the front cover which is promotion of their new single and the simplistic menu at the top of the screen which is clear.
Underneath the music video there is links to social networking sites that the Arctic Monkey's are signed up to. The news feed on the front page I felt was not well placed and that it is better on the page it belongs, it was probably put there just to promote up and coming singles and tours but it seems misplaced with there being a whole page dedicated to the news feed on the site.
The page menu is set up clearly at the top and when the cursor is placed over the page it turns red, this feature appeals to me as it is efficient and allows the person viewing the site to no it is working.
The pages are neatly set up and the presentation of the whole site is very simplistic but stylish.
2) Beyonce is a huge RnB / HipHop star who also has starred in a few films, she is a international success and I feel her website should portray this.
The website it based around her most recent sell out tour, her album is based around the "real" Beyonce and her alter ego Sasha Fierce who gives her the confidence to go out on stage and perform the way she does. Here's the front page of her website.
This picture of her alter ego Sasha Fierce is on rotation with the picture below this is showing her two sides.
The menu is clear and well set out with the first page on the website (far left) is running down the side of the page the news & blog is promoting Beyonce's new perfume called "Heat Rush" and informing fans of her upcoming appearances.
The site is extremely comprehensive with all the pages giving lots of information the page that caught my eye the most was the use of a "timeline" of Beyonce's progression from the day she was born to the most recent success's.
A time line the picture highlighted is one of her as a new born baby.
This picture is of the girl band she was in before pursuing a solo career.
This photo is representing her latest album and tour.
The website reflects her glamorous status and shows her success, this website fits in with her image and the genre she is associated with.
3) I decided to view another international RnB female act, Rihanna she isn't as established as Beyonce so I wanted to see how a younger act who has just become more successful is promoted and publicized on her own website.
This is the view you get as soon as you come on, with the artists face, signing up to become a member of her newspaper, her latest single, the website page menu and links to social networks they managed to get the vital things in one page. The colour scheme is clearly from her new album this is important since her image has changed her new image is shown on here to reinforce it.
As soon as you scroll down her most recent event and albums are there which is advertising and makes the fan want to buy her album and the magazine which she recently starred in.
These shows how effective brand identity can be from the pink that is used I associated it with the music video for her single "Only Girl In The World" also the photo's of her with red hair in consistent with her new look and therefore her new website.
4) Next I looked into the website of a mainstream rock band Blink 182.
This is the page that comes up first you have to click on the logo to enter the website properly. The logo is one that features on the albums and hoodies, the black background is a convention of rock as a genre.
The site is set out in a simplistic way which allows the person who is viewing the site to access the information easily. The use of black and grey is consistent with the rock convention of dark colours. You're able to access social networking sites and become a fan by clicking on the icons. The way in which they say "blink" news is appealing and I plan to use that for my website.
5) Taylor Swift is a pop singer so I wanted to view her website to see how this genre differs from rock, indie and RnB.
The use of bright colours is very closely associated with the feel good mood that pop music as a genre tries to invoke. There is a new song of her's ready to play in the corner which is advertisement for her new single and in time album. The website page menu is clearly displayed and there is also social networking icon's which they can become and fan and view Taylor Swift in different formats.
When you scroll down the page there is further pictures of the artist. The tile format is attractive in displaying the news and music video's. The use of bright colours is continued through the website on all of the pages.
What I've learnt from this research is that on the home page of my website I need to have a picture of Scala along with the music video I have created and social networking icons. Also there needs to be a simplistic but stylish page menu. I am going to try and create a timeline of Scala's progress since collaborating.
Through research of other choir's website i'll decide colour scheme and what style writing I want to use to incorporate both mainstream and choir conventions.
