Element Fusion

"How do I make my website unique, but keep it approachable and familiar at the same time?"

This is a question we all face. So, where can we turn for some inspiration? To the presidential candidate websites, of course! Where else can you find a handful of websites that are so highly visible, so closely correlated to one another, yet with such an imperative need to distinguish themselves. If anyone can figure out how to distinguish a website under tight parameters, surely these highly-funded campaign design teams can make it work.

Let's take a look at the Democratic front-runners. Please note that this is for illustrative purposes and does not reflect an endorsement of any candidate or party. It's important that I say this because an endorsement from Element Fusion would certainly tip the scales.  Anyway, browse through the screen shots, then meet me below for some conclusions.

JohnEdwards.com

HillaryClinton.com

BarackObama.com 

Conclusions:

1. The sites are nearly identical in content and layout. Each one has almost exactly the same content in exactly the same places.
2. Presidential candidates must really like boxes. Everything is a square edge with a sharp corner. Crisp, clean and professional, right?
3. Distinguisher #1: color. While all of the sites are using "American" colors, they each approach it in a different way. Notice the subtle variations which do a good job of distinguishing.
   
4. Distinguisher #2: use of white space. In my opinion, the sites get progressively better with regards to white space from top to bottom. Edwards being the most over-crowded (click through to the complete site to get a really good look at how crowded it is), Clinton is only slightly less crowded than Edwards, but Obama really sets his site apart with a lot more room to breathe around the elements.
5. Distinguisher #3: fun content in lower-right. You have to click to the full sites to see all of this as it continues down the page, but the lower-right area seems to be the most "flexible" as far as content goes. This gives each camp room to be a little creative. Edwards has his handwritten "to-do list" showing his big agenda items, Obama has "BarackTV" with video clips, and Clinton has a set of banner ads for various novelties and programs.
6. Distinguisher #4: home page length: Clinton and Edwards have similar vertical lengths on their home page.  Obama, again, is set apart by the inclusion of a lot more home page content for those who want to scroll down vertically.
   
7. Distinguisher #5: design style. Clinton and Edwards both go after the bold, hard-line approach to design with fully photographic imagery, solid, bright colors, and the like. Obama, on the other hand, creates a bit of a "softer" touch with feathering and gradients. His site treats the featured images in the main content area differently by bringing a single element to the foreground and scaling everything else back into the background color. Obama is clearly distinguished in this regard, but is that a good thing? One could argue that the "softer" look isn't necessarily desirable when you are trying to be presidential. Naturally, they are attempting to walk a fine line, but I do have to give them credit for attempting a unique design style.
   

Perhaps you can find some other ways that these three sites attempt to distinguish themselves.  If so, leave them in the comments for us. And, let's remember the lessons learned from these sites as we attempt to create designs that set themselves apart from the competition.