car websites: sexy

audi.com
R8 movie

Audi is a German car manufacturer; the only objective of their website is to sell cars. They provide information and media to consumers in order to create interest in their product. The main website has links to interactive flash movies for each model, which is a great way to differentiate each is a mix of still images, movies, and text. The movie can play in a linear direction or the user may skip around, which is fantastic for users.

The design is crisp, clean, organized, bold, sophisticated, and looks great. In a way, the design is the embodiment of a car; similar colors, lines, shape, and style is used. Every inch of every page looks classy and expensive. The layout is clear; you always know where you’re going and what you’ll find there. Every page is consistent, but the images and graphics make it unique enough to make them stand out. The text is always short, to the point, placed exactly where it should be, and grouped with like information. In the end, some of the movies are a little long, but the website draws you in and invites you to wait and see what’s next.

The TT movie is broken into sections; each section is a row of boxes and each box represents a screen. The navigation is basically a group of boxes aligned in rows, but it is clear what they represent and how to use the site. Between screens unique animations play, they visually lead you to the new screen and introduce the information. The screen isn’t immediately replaced with the one navigated to, which keeps the movie feel and adds sophistication. Face it, elegant animations leading you from one place to the next makes pages look primitive. This is a website that causes the pan on the stove to boil over and keeps you from picking up the kids on time.

The designers faced many challenges, but gracefully overcame. Primarily, there is a lot of information. The information is spread out over a number of pages, which keeps the user from being daunted by long paragraphs that, realistically, no one even skims. Some users may want to sit back and watch the movie and learn about the car while other users may be seeking the answer to a question. The main goal is to sell cars. Every page whispers that an Audi is a high quality car and it will fulfill all of your desires.


SUV advertisements show large families getting into cars with their luggage, dog, sports team, surfboards, and boat; they tell you that you need the car. Audi did not even attempt to take this route, which is practical agreement that no one needs their product. The script on their website is carefully manicured to keep you from being reminded that you should be comparison shopping. They do not tell you the miles per gallon gas rating, the trunk size, towing capacity, passenger room, or sound systems. Audi focuses on how well designed the car is, how beautiful it is, and what it is capable of. Overall, Audi does a wonderful job of marketing their product; few who leave their site aren’t daydreaming.

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lucasarts.com

Lucas Arts is a unique website that is fun for all ages, it is dedicated to the various video games that they make. The site very easy to navigate, you always know where you can click, where you’re going and what to expect there. All of the things you can click on light up and move, some also play sounds. The design is bright and colorful without being garish, color and size is used effectively to lead your eye.

On the Lego Star Wars pages, you can build a character by choosing a head, torso, legs, and a background. At a glance, the site doesn’t appear to have a lot of information, the pages are well organized, preventing information overload. As you visit pages, you earn things such as wallpapers, screensavers, chat icons, and videos, which is an interesting concept. The animations are cute, in theme, and encourage the user to play with the site and share it with friends, creating more interest in Lucas Arts’ games. Overall, the site is fun, interesting, informational, and well designed.