IMD105: Design Blog Post: 3 Favorite Websites & their Designs

Site #1
urbanoutfitters.com
1. I like this site because I enjoy looking at new fashions and trends, but I don't always get in to the city to their stores. Also the website offers more merchandise than the store locations do, and has an excellent return policy.  I find the site easy to navigate, it is easy to view the items and generally I feel that the ratings and feedback the other customers leave are accurate when judging quality and fit.  I find their catalogs show too many items that aren't available for purchase, the descriptions are not always on the same page as the item and quite honestly it makes it very difficult to shop from. In comparison, their website is a breeze!
2. The background color is white and there are only pictures of merchandise, not full photos of an entire room generally.  This makes it easy to see the item from several angles and get an up-close look at what you are buying.
3.  The size of the type is large and very readable.  Being in black against the white background, while it doesn't seem the most cutting-edge or stylish, it does make for easy viewing and navigation.
4.  The header design is really only the company name.  However it includes the department listings at the top of each page as you navigate and very user-friendly.
5.  The overall colorscheme, again, is very plain.  However they include a constantly changing window on the home page that highlights some of their new arrivals and the same urban-looking models as featured in their catalogs. 
6.  The site targets young urban trendsetters and stylish home decorators.  It is also of interest to people in the art field as they have wonderful trendy home decor, clothing, coffee table books and some of the most random things you will come across anywhere.
7.  There is definitely a very strong grid structure to this site, both on the home page and on each of the shopping pages.  You will see it in my screen shots, below:

8.  The site does not use animation or any special effects, only photos.
9.  After looking at the same site as a designer, I know I will still shop here because I love the company.  However now I recognize how much less 'edgy' the site seems compared to the store in Georgetown.