12.09.2008

Site Critique: Skingraft Designs


http://www.skingraftdesigns.com/

A friend recommended Skingraft to me when I was researching Steampunk clothing for Anachrofactory. Skingraft Designs is a Los Angeles clothing company whose work borders on art. Only independent stores carry it, and many pieces are one-of-a-kind. Although one section denotes pieces for sale, the site is for showcasing, not shopping.

I have a love-hate relationship with Flash sites. Skingraft has a nice layout but does not need its current animation. The photographic content is undeniably incredible but hindered by the interface and pixilation. The site runs from one main menu embedded into a timepiece-like treatment where users click orbs to access sections. This is cleverly keeps with the site's decorative, Victorian style, but the circular frame and usurps valuable screen real estate. The site background is an eye-burning white. A dark, neutral color would bring out the subtle artistic details of the menu and pieces. The realistic photo menu is destroyed by its rollovers. While users appreciate selected states, they should not be heinous, computer-drawn circles laid over the photographs. Instead, the designer should manipulate the photograph and actually have the menu orbs change color.

As with many Flash sites, there is no definite home page, and the five sections must be navigated without a sitemap. Fortunately, the section names are self-explanatory. The “Purchase” link instructs users to go offsite to a distributor called Hunters & Gatherers. "Gallery" happens to have confusing subsection labels. Not all the "Gallery" links actually go to gallery pieces. Those that do provide limited image-viewing functionality. Few viewers will realize the circle between the pagination arrows allows them to view the image source. One cannot zoom in to analyze the lovely pinstripes on the vests or the ruffles on the hoop skirts.


Since the site is very image-oriented, most text is used for headers. However, the header font choice is atrocious, often unreadable. The copy font is simple, but also not well weighted. The logo looks less like a logo and more like a free font with a Photoshop filter. Victorian font should be elegant and historically inspired but not reminiscent of high school Goth. Differentiating link and text can be difficult, especially with Flash. Most things I clicked led me nowhere, and there were no search functions. Clicking “Updates” provides the user with inactive text URLs. Worse, with Flash, one cannot copy and paste. Few people will take the effort to type in a web address.


When taken at high resolution, photographs are great resources for web page layouts. However, that means the site has to match them and must do so with subtlety. If the site treatments were darker, textured, yet soft and text not overly decorated, the gorgeous photography of the designers’ wares would provide just enough balance with the site’s detailed menus. This could easily be done without losing the feel from Steampunk’s grey, brown, and brass theme. Ultimately, Skingraft’s poor use of Flash limits features which are found naturally on HTML pages, and this in turn limits their ability to function as an online gallery.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

perfect timing. I hated our old website too.

we just changed it, check it out! :)

jonny
skingraft