I used Typography and Colour as my starting points when evaluating the new design. These are the first impressions and many of these notes will pop up in the following blog posts dealing with the redesign per section.
Part 1: Web Typography
1.1 Legibility and Readability
With regards to legibility, the site is legible and easy to read, with the normal contrast of black on white. The font is Tahoma, which is sans serif. It can be mentioned that a serif font is said to be easier to read/recognize/legible for the reader.
1.2 Measure (line length)
Line length is estimated to be optimal between 45 – 75 characters, with the average being used today coming in at 75 – 85 characters. Lightspeed’s new design mostly stays comfortably within these parameters. Longer lines apparently yield better results in web browsers.
Leading is the space between two consecutive lines of text. The widely accepted rule of thumb for leading is to have it at 1.5 x the font size. Currently the Lightspeed design is around 1.83 x font size, depending on the block. To see the difference, view the picture below.
Tightening the Leading in these areas could free up some whitespace if needed.
2. White Space
Tightening the leading in the different paragraphs could free up some more White Space. Alternatively a possible solution to get more whitespace could be to set the type slightly smaller
On the Portfolio page specifically, I might suggest adding a bit more whitespace between the frames, as it feels a bit cluttered.
Also, on the Services or Features page (I see the tab says Services, but the PSD Features) there is an opportunity to add more whitespace between the Packages paragraph and the ‘What we offer’ section, depending of course on the content of the paragraph and if it doesn’t hinder the flow of information.
3. Vertical Rhythm
Overall there is good vertical rhythm throughout the site. On the home page, better vertical Rhythm can be achieved by making the icons the same size (Icons for Digital Design and Development, CMS etc.)
4. Paragraph styling
As no block of information contains more than one paragraph, the styling is in line with standard conventions
5. Font
The current used font is Tahoma, it is a widely accepted standard. As a sans serif font, this is easy to read and understand.
Part 2: Colour Usage
1. Color and Usability
Overall the Usability of Lightspeeds’ website is clearly indicated with the use of orange for the action buttons, Green as the heading informational buttons and blue for the top tabs. One might change the colors on these tabs to make each of them stand out more, but this is unnecessary and will clash with the spare use of color as it is now.
2. Color and Engagement
The use of Orange as the color for action buttons makes it easy for the visitor to the site to engage and get started, without getting lost in a sea of information. On the Home page the Green ‘subscribe to our newsletter’ box also makes it easy to notice and interact with.
However, the ‘Get Started Now’ button takes you to the Services screen which gives you further information on the services and packages on offer and from there no action buttons or links exist to actually take you to an action. Only the Quick Contact area is available, or else the user will have to click the top Tab.
Furthermore, I might suggest having the quick contact box also in green, thereby denoting all action areas that give the user the opportunity to engage with the site in color.
On the Careers Tab, the action buttons are nicely done in orange, but also reside at the end of the page, needing the user to scroll down to see them. This might be a good thing if the intent is to only attract ardent and thorough applicants who would read the entire page and scroll down, but won’t do much for someone scanning the site for opportunities on the fly.
3. Color and Experience
The heavy use of white, and then balanced by blue as a framework color gives the Lightspeed look a feeling of professionalism and clarity. It seems honest and to the point, which I think is a good impression of the company. Quality, honesty and speed.
