If you are a Formula 1 fan you will no doubt stumble across the official website that allows all the information that a Formula 1 fanatic or a newcomer will need. However the design is a bit rugged and isn’t a very sleek and smooth set up. The Website is very busy with text everywhere and images strewn in between. There are some positive features though.

The top menu is very clear cut and allows the typical F1 fan to catch up on anything that they may have missed. These include all recent results and points standings as well as onboards and the latest news. Another smooth feature is the clear live timing down to the next race action and the track that the teams next visit. Immediately to the left of that are the latest top stories and everything related to the British challenge. This is a good transition and allows you to obtain most of what you needed to know pretty quickly.

However further down the page, the Gallery and Video accompany the latest race result less important stories and the drivers standings, leading to a muddle of text and words not related to each other. As well as things like technical regulation changes and this week’s poll which I would prefer to be at the top as its completely relevant and adds a bit of fun to the website. The colours are rather dull with just a grey and white page creating not much excitement. Overall it seems much like a missed opportunity to make a nice sleek and well run website design seemingly like a rushed design.

Game is a leading Console and PC game retailer that has captured the market in recent years. With Consoles becoming ever so popular with every teenager wanting one, and with PC’s getting more and more powerful, the computer game market just keeps getting larger and larger. This means that the big companies need a well designed and good looking website that people can purchase games from instead of going through the hassle of going into town. Immediately when you enter the Game website you are greeted by vibrant and bold colours. These encompass the whole home page and direct your attention to the adverts of new releases and biggest selling games that many consumers would be interested in when they enter the site. This is extremely well designed with the adverts in key positions in the middle of the page that allow it to be the first thing you see when you enter the web site. Nice clear headings and search tools are listed down the left hand side that allow you to easily navigate to the product or price range that you are looking for.

Other nice features are an easy to find store locater that clearly shows the positions of all the nearest stores close to your location and useful information on things like store cards and the basket of items that you are wanting to purchase etc.

One of the downsides however is the news list and reviews as well as help tools. These are too small and too far down the page for my liking, as you are not drawn to them at all, and are what I consider quite important to the customer who enters the website.

Ferrari are probably the best known Sports car designer in the world and with this you would expect them to have a very crisp and appealing website, that would allow their customers to explore the latest models and motorsport information including Formula 1. The Home page is as beautiful in website design terms as the cars Ferrari make. At first glance the dull dark grey background doesn’t sound very exciting. But the splash of Ferrari red overlapping the menus and model range immediately excites you, and creates a very attractive and vibrant effect. Three Big bold Captions down the bottom of the page tell you the three things that a typical Ferrari or Potential Ferrari owner would need to know including the model range as well as driving courses and Ferrari Merchandise. The middle of the page is filled with a big picture of all the latest news that I like as it easily allows me to find the latest Ferrari ideas and Information.

The top of the page is quite dull however and this allows my attention to draw to the other aspects of the website. This is not so good because at the top of the page are the various menus that pop out such as the history of Ferrari and the racing team as well as servicing information. I considered this quite an important part of the website and perhaps laying a layer of Scuderia red across the top border would draw the attention of the customer a bit more.

Chelsea Football Club have established themselves as one of the big European sides in recent years after a drought of Silverware in the past. This has led them to gain a lot of popularity and an increased fan base which means more and more people are following the club.  This forces a well developed and clear website design that allows their fans to follow every move that the club make whether it be new transfers or youth information. The web site is bathed in the Football Clubs colours with all key sponsors and search bar incorporated nicely into the border. All the key information and news that is immediate to the club is used through a roll of pictures, which inside uses nice and bold captions that you can expand into the full news story. This is a very sleek design and allows you to access all the news you need to know about the club.

Listed across the top in bold silver writing are all the major headings that show latest match results and fixtures as well as the latest first team and membership information. This is also helped by a small information box that shows all the most popular searches when people enter the web site. This is a useful design note and I like it a lot as most of the key areas that a Chelsea FC fan need to know about are secured in that tab.

Overall it is a nice and appealing design that can put other websites to shame and my only concern would be the pages on a whole are a bit too busy with text engulfing the page.

The internet has proved to be a powerful tool for connecting people on a global scale. However, it does allow an individual to undertake the work that would once have required an entire team and also gives website owners, freelancers and small business founders the opportunity to work from home. While there are clear benefits to this, it can be an isolated existence and have a negative effect on your web development work.

Working alone can have a severe impact on all elements of a web designer’s work, from productivity to creativity and can ultimately damage their competence. Having peers or colleagues around to bounce ideas off and to keep you on your toes is important if you are to produce consistently strong work. Being isolated can harm not only your state of mind, but your professionalism too.

Without interaction, it can become very difficult to remain innovative and creative. Brainstorming with others is often how the best ideas are born, with designers developing the each other’s thoughts and suggestions. Working alone can become frustrating and with no-one to monitor your work with criticism or praise, it can be easy to slip into the trap of becoming complacent in your work. Some designers may continue unabated, churning out work that they believe is inventive and effective. In reality that may be far from the case.

It can go the other way for the lonely web developer too. Without a peer to encourage you or teach you how to overcome problems, it is easy for an isolated developer to become bogged down with their work and lose confidence in their own ability, resulting in them losing all motivation to work. For those who are freelance or self employed and have no-one to answer to, this can be a dangerous precedent. The workload can become a bit too much for some, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and in need of help.

Establishing that you need some outside help is only half the battle though, as gaining an outside perspective can be more difficult and costly than you might imagine. Sometimes you may find that even discussing your works with interested friends or family, regardless of their skill set, may help you to make your ideas clear in your mind and give you fresh perspective on your work.

Finding an industry expert can be more beneficial, with a mentor, paid consultant or sleeping partner all being options you may wish to explore. For those who are merely looking for a bit of guidance, rather than someone to help them run their business and carry out their work, a mentor can be the best option. Contacting a web developer you admire and asking for a small amount of their time can help you stay on the right track.

There are also various communities and buddy schemes available online, so a web developer never need feel alone.