Radial Elements
1st edition — by Patrick McNeil — Sep. 10, 2006
The Design Element
The Radial design element can be a subtle part of the page, simply employed to emphasize the logo or other key element. Or it can create the entire mood and feel for the site, adding action and motion to an other wise static page.
On the
klussenmetjos.nl
site you will see a very beautiful usage of the element. The radial adds depth to the header and reinforces the title and perhaps emblem of the page. It breaths life into this other wise static part of the page. It also makes it a more noticeable element, moving it up in the hierarchy of the page. This really helps to reinforce the brand of the site and remind visitors what site they are reading.
The
Strawberry Sadness
demonstrates a much more dramatic usage. The color red is of course already a very powerful color. It demands attention, and declares priority. The color combined with this very dramatic and eye catching element leads to one single result. Your eyes will be guaranteed to land on the center of the radial. And we find two people front and center there. One can only presume that this sites sole purpose is to promote these individuals. I can't actually read the site, but in a way that almost makes analyzing it much more fun. We can only speculate as the purpose of the site. In fact, we are only left with what the design can tell us. Which is kind of interesting. I wish I could look at my own work as objectively. Regardless, it is a very dramatic and powerful way to emphasize the primary purpose of the site.
Another site that does much of the same things mentioned previously with the element is
Guilago
. They add a retro element to the mix though. The illustrations, color scheme, and general theme of the site has a subtle retro theme to it. The radial plays into that and reinforces that same feel.
Sample Usage
