The inauguration of President Barack Obama has brought change to America and to the White House website, whitehouse.gov. Considering that Obama ran a web-savvy campaign and built an enviable political brand, it’s not surprising that the new presidential website is smart, stylish and user-friendly.
Mindy Wagner at Viget Labs writes (“Change Web Designers Can Believe In”):
The redesigned WhiteHouse.gov site uses many of the same gradients, backgrounds, subtle shadows and text treatments that made Change.gov so eye-catching. It’s great to see that the consistent branding used during the campaign has not been abandoned. Instead the designers toned down the vibrant colors and icons, replacing them with more whitespace and softer flourishes to create a site that feels serious and trustworthy without losing its modern edge. And all aesthetics aside, things like the addition of maroon for headlines, an identifiable primary nav, and a more organized linkfest in the footer should all make this site less confusing to visitors.
For me, the new site shines because of the small touches that were lovingly addressed. A quick look at the White House logo used in the headers of both sites illustrates the difference in attention to detail. The old logo has an unrealistic “shiny button” effect applied to it. The new treatment features very subtle shadows, an eagle seating it in the navigation bar, and a row of gray stars flanking either side. It looks elegant and carries more significance.
For a critique of whitehouse.gov during Bush’s tenure, check out Andy Rutledge’s “White House Redux.”
