Communicating quickly with users on the web is a major challenge. Everyone has abysmally low attention spans and your chance of striking a cord with users is quite short. One powerful way to quickly communicate with users is to establish an interesting environment for the site. By pulling the user into your world you create a new experience for them. The atmosphere of this environment can help them understand what the site is about and draw them further in.

In some ways this is just a chance to be incredibly literal, but look for ways to make it a unique experience. This article represents a wide range of styles and techniques, but it is remarkable how they all accomplish the same task of generating atmosphere for the site.

Virtual Worlds

Creating a virtual version of a physical location is quite a challenge. It can be tackled in a number of ways, some more literal then others. Smart usage of photography is a good way to use this technique and avoid the highly complex 3d renderings shown in some of the samples below. I find the collage style design very interesting since the site firmly plants you in a different world, and the technique used to build it matches it perfectly, very smart indeed.

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Desktops

With so many people spending countless hours sitting at a desk, it is rather personal to show your desk. Even if it is completely made up! It tells the user you are not afraid to reveal yourself and how you work. Take the J.K. Rowling site for example, her desk of course doesn't look like this, but you certainly feel as though you are getting in on something straight from the source, which in this case you are.

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Other Worlds

From looking at the samples this is perhaps one of the most difficult versions of this subject to implement. I believe however that you could approach this style in a simpler way and still get some of the benefits. Futuristic other worlds have tons of appeal and inspire the dreamer in all of us. There is no doubt about the progressive and competent nature of these sites. The impact on the visitor is immediate and powerful. and the experience is completely unique.

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Software Emulation

Nothing says more about a site or it's owners then when they emulate a specific piece of software or interface. Consider the Ars Thanea site. The artist need not say what he does and you know he must be a photoshop genius. The DOS emulation on Infected Graphics has a different appeal. Slightly older generations who were adept at working in DOS during the earlier days of computers and the internet will assume the site owner must be a bit older and more experienced to find such things nostalgic and appealing.

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Standard Layout Branding

At times a typical web layout is needed, but it must be branded in a way so as to associate it with a more physical location. The samples below use typical layout techniques but still draw you into a fresh location through atmosphere and environment.

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So, in summary, consider what atmosphere you would like to create for your site. Is it warm and fuzzy, or dark and scary. Hopefully this assortment of sites will inspire you to try something new! Just remember it is all about setting the mood, so consider what would appeal to your target audience and apply that in a creative and new way.