Easy, Popular, and Simple Web Layout

Imagine you are scrolling through Pinterest one day and see a gorgeous picture of Yosemite valley. When you click on the picture, it takes you to a new website. This is 100yearsofnps.com, the webpage of the centennial celebration of the National Park Service. While scrolling through the new site, you begin to notice some striking differences in the layout and design of the two sites you have just visited. This is because Pinterest uses a card layout and the centennial site uses a one-page layout. But what is the reason for separate designs and what are the benefits of doing it this way, and what do these terms really mean?

As the name implies, a card layout in web design arranges information onto sections like note cards and can be arranged in time sensitive or random orders. These cards usually contain a picture, a title or brief description, and a link to an external site or new page on the site. Some examples of sites that use this include many social media platforms like Pinterest and twitter but can also be used to enhance news sites or blogs according to Ainsly Fagerstrom’s article on the topic.

This layout has a number of pros that are making it more and more popular. Its brief descriptions make it easier for readers to look through the site and find what it is they are looking for without the need to read everything on the page. Because cards can be arranged in various ways, sites that use this layout are easily viewable on a range of devices such as phones, tablets, or even kiosks. Each card can also have animations added to them to make some stand out.

One cons to using this design style is that it is difficult to implement any kind of hierarchy of information within your site. Fagerstrom points out that you can make cards containing more important information bigger or more colorful, but ultimately, that won't guarantee that people will click on it. She also notes that Because of how popular it is now, it may be more difficult to make your website as a whole stand out as unique.

Similarly to the naming of card layout, a one-page layout describes itself; it is a site with only one page. These kinds of sites are usually simple and to the point and it is easy for the reader to find information. Brad Litwin points out key elements used by many successful one-page sites in his article. These are clearly defined sections, big header elements, and custom scrolling effects. These are all things present at 100yearsofnps.com. The site looks beautiful with changing pictures on the right and a clear easily readable timeline of the NPS history. Some sites that may choose to use a one-page layout may be personal or professional portfolios or landing pages.

I like the look of the one-page layout the most for its simplicity but it does serve a specific purpose. I think that it would be much harder to make a one page layout for a social media site than if you were to use a card format. When used correctly, both layouts provide an opportunity for a site to be unique or stand out from the crowd.