Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The Proof is in the Details

We get many clients that have a hard time understanding what sets a great website apart from a good one.

While many good websites deliver the same functionality and information as great ones, they usually lack the attention to detail that would make a good website a possible work of art.


Good Site: http://www.fourthmeal.com - This is Taco Bell's attempt to cash-in on the interactive flash craze. They attempt to create a fun video interactive site (ala ShaveEverywhere) and you think they may just pull it off. You start with some decent video of a cab driver (decent actor) and a nicely designed taxi setting. However, once you select a location, the cab drives through some poorly animated 3-d city scenes. Head downtown and you'll find a tired implementation of a user-driven character mini-site. The attempt to be kitchy with some funky graphics and animation come off tired and sloppy (see image below).


Great Site: http://www.gettheglass.com - This Goodby-led site for Milk (seriously) uses some amazing 3-d work. The intro leading from the board game to the 3-d world is particularly impressive. Everything, from the textures in the game to the cards at the bottom, oozes polish and an intense attention to detail. I'm not sure it compels me to go buy a couple gallons of milk, but the site is impressive enough to lure novice and expert internet tube* users alike.

* Like Al Gore.

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