Evaluation Criteria

At Top Design Companies we feel that the best way to evaluate a website design company is by assessing the work they produce.  Based on this belief, we judge the best designs on the web according to how well they fit the following criteria.

Aesthetics

The aesthetics of a website include all stylistic elements.  Color schemes should be consistent throughout the site.  Fonts should be easy to read, and should be appropriately sized to indicate importance.  The overall layout of the site refers to the alignment of elements, the effective use of white space, and the practical location of objects.  Imagery is also important.  Images should enhance the user interface, not detract from it.  They should also not negatively affect load times.

Site Architecture

Site architecture is often overlooked when evaluating a good website design.  A website is a living, growing document, which makes its overall organization extremely important.  Websites should be easy to navigate, which extends to more than just a well-structured menu bar.  Call to actions need to be clearly defined.  Any necessary cross-referencing should be noticeable, and recognizable.  Overall the sequence of information in a great web design is intuitive and not prohibitive to the user.

Originality

Originality refers to the uniqueness of the website design.  Innovative techniques in design and/or functionality should be evident.  An original web design includes fresh ideas, and an inventive approach.

Audience

The way a website addresses its audience needs to be consistent throughout.  The audience should be well defined.  In top web designs all of the messaging, tone, and style are appropriate for the target audience.

Functionality

A website, at the end of the day, must be a well-functioning, dynamic document.  Functionality refers to the usability of a site.  All the links, buttons, forms, animations, etc. have to work in order for a website to be considered as a great web design.

After reviewing a website and evaluating based on these criteria, Top Design Companies gives the site a percentage based score.