Website Analysis - Coldplay

Website Analysis - Coldplay

The home page of Coldplay's website uses mainly a dark grey/black colour in order for the rainbow colour scheme to look visually effective. Without this monochrome background, the page would appear cluttered and confusing. The spirograph-style logo for their new album "A Head Full Of Dreams" is a colourful design which also acts as a portal to the amazon site where the album can be purchased. Placing the logo in the centre of the screen, and using such eye-catching colours, draws the visitor's attention to the band's main sales focus. The logo's interactivity - the colour is constantly changing and some text pops up when the cursor is hovering over the logo - is an attractive feature which encourages the site's visitor to click on the portal. 

The most easily accessible information on the page is the band's most current news, including information about the next venue that they will be singing at. The fact that the band is encouraging their audience to follow them on their most recent activities and get involved suggests that it is something they find particularly valuable to keep a strong fanbase. 

The access panel is at the left hand side of the screen, quite small and hidden compared to other sites. The layout of the tabs remains very simple and the tabs themselves are quite spread out, making reading easy regardless of the small font. The colourful icons which appear next to the tab names also act as a method of visual differentiation which also add colour to the page and draw the visitor's eye to them. The use of space and colour on the whole page is important, since the eye is naturally drawn to the cluster of colour of the tabs - the access point for the website. 

To fill large spaces on the page, little sketches and moving images have been placed to make the space seem a bit busier - the choice of images do not seem to have any direct relevance to the band, but the colours of the images match the theme and portrays them as having an eccentric and popularly unconventional image. In the top right corner of the site there is a diagram which represents the different moon phases. The infographic is designed to light up according to the current phase of the moon cycle (in the band's home country - UK). This feature is unique and interesting, matching the band's well-known quirkiness. To add to this, it has become a popular discussion for fans on online forums and social media; the discussion consisting of several theories which have been produced as a result of the seemingly random website feature. 

The two fonts 

Only two fonts are used throughout the website, thus keeping it simple and not overcrowded. The fonts are also very easy to read, making the information clear and easy to access. The main colour choice for the font is white, which is a suitable and attractive colour against the dark grey background. The texts which may be considered as more important (such as the band's name, the title of their new album and the portal to their merchandise store) is multicoloured gradient coloured. This highlights, again, where the band want their visitors to be drawn to - where they can make their most money! This marketing technique is subtle but effective. The only issue with the font may be its size. For the most part, font sizes are very small considering the space on the homepage which may make the website more difficult to navigate and access for some users. 

Overall, it is safe to say that the design of the website is very effective, especially since the whole website is easy to access and right at your fingertips thanks to the basic yet effectual layout of the access panel, which provides easy entry to the desired information whoever the visitor. The colour choice covers that of the colour spectrum, yet the page is not overwhelming enough to confuse the visitor or be difficult to look at. The website's interactivity keeps it interesting and unique, as something is going on all the time but it is not overpowering. Every visitor is naturally guided towards the elements which earn the band money - it is a well designed website which coincides with the band's image and meets their requirements.