National have relaunched their party website. There are a few things about it that I want to talk about. Firstly, let’s look at their Team Page. It is great to see that they have icon based, direct links to all of the MPs differing social media accounts. The Labour Party website has tried to do the same, but they use text based links that are not as clear. I haven’t gone to have a look at each of the MPs accounts to see who is actually using what, but just the simple interface is really good.
Just taking a quick scan through the profiles, one question comes to mind, why do neither of our international ministers, Tim Groser or Murray McCully have any social media presence at all?
Even though a website isn’t technically “social media”, I am going to take this chance to comment on the site overall. I like the look and feel of the site. It has a nice modern feel, with consistent branding. It has all the features one would expect of a modern website.
Pretty much every page has the standard links to social media. But they also have text based inducements to click on them.
They have also included the ability to sign in to the website with your Facebook account. I particularly like the nice little comment about spam. It makes the whole thing feel slightly more relaxed.
But there is one thing that I really don’t like about the site. So many of the photos have a blue tone applied to them. Blue is obviously the colour of the National party, has been since it was started. I have no issue with the use of blue all over the website. But the blue tone over the images is a bit over the top. It can be seen in all of the images on the slider on the front page, as well as all of the head shots on the team page, apart from John Key’s.
Yet on the same team page, the photo at the top doesn’t have the effect applied, and presents a much stronger image. Taking away the blue tone makes the image bolder and brighter, it also makes it more inviting. Blue is a cold colour, it makes people look cold and sick. When used with people it makes them look uninviting.
My one bit of advice to the designers, get rid of the blue tone on the photos. From the photos on the front page, down to the head shots on the team page. Let the photos speak for themselves. Don’t make the MPs look cold.
