Music & Bands
1st edition — by Patrick McNeil — Jan. 13, 2007
The Design Element
In many ways this feels like a really inadequate set of samples. The topic of music, much like portfolio sites, could warrant it's own site all together.
All the same, these are sites that have come across my radar for one reason or another, and they are all music related. Some are bands, some are blog's about music etc.
I imagine this is a category that could explode with links. But for the mean time, this will have to suffice. What strikes me about these sites is there depth. By depth I mean that most of them have very complex designs that were most certainly not just thrown together. Look at the
Panic at the Disco
site. This was most certainly no weekend project; and if it was, it was a really long weekend. What a beautiful atmosphere they have created. I am a fan of their music, but I hadn't looked at their site, and to me it isn't what I expected. This isn't a bad thing of course, but they surprised me with their site, a good thing indeed. In contrast other bands sites are rather predictable.
Rancid
for example. I used to enjoy their music quite a bit, and I visualized the site before I went to it. It fit perfectly.
Both of these situations can be great. Panic at the Disco is a new band and showing a different side of them can broaden their impact on viewers like me. On the other hand, bands like Rancid are not new and they simply went with reinforcing the image they had established long ago. Let me explain a bit my surprise about the Panic site. I expected something uber clean, something technoish, but with a flair for style since the music does incorporate some more traditional musical elements (classical etc). Instead I found a thematic site that drew on a whole different set of meanings. It seems they are more connected with those traditional, or classic roots then I thought. I know nothing of the band beyond listening to the cd. So this is pure speculation. But the site has given me more confidence in their abilities as musicians and has effectively elevated my view of them. This is in contrast to going with the obvious themes that could be associated with a panic at a disco!
My point really is the same as always, to challenge the way we think. To help us come up with creative solutions to our designs that challenge our expectations, but enhance the product.
Sample Usage
