Website Analysis for Media Studies

1. Website Analysis
Sharon Li

2. Gorillaz
The website homepage features a black background, with a music video playing in the
background and a pop up window announcing the release of the band’s latest album,
Humanz . There is also a bar across the top providing additional links and social media
handles, plus terms of use along the bottom.
http://www.gorillaz.com/

3. The pop up window is transparent, but darker than
the rest of the page, so it stands out but you can
still see the music video playing in the background.
We are shown the album cover, and are provided
with links through anchor text, to a list of tour
dates, and where to find the album.

4. “Get the Album” provides a link to the numerous places where fans can get
access to the new album, in different formats. This encourages people to
purchase or stream, as it acknowledges that some may have a preference for
a specific format, such as iTunes or Spotify. It is not shown in the screenshot,
but it provides links for less popular formats as well, such as Deezer or HMV.
The background is a blurred photo of the album cover, which makes it more
visually appealing as it complements the color scheme of the photo (which is,
obviously, also the album). By clicking on the album cover, you also have the
opportunity to listen immediately, which may help convince the viewer to
purchase the album.

5. The top right corner also shows the band’s social media
handles, and provides quick links. This allows for the audience
to interact more directly with the band, and create a stronger
social media following. This would, in turn, create a stronger
fan base, as they would be more frequently exposed to the
band through social media updates. It would also encourage
user generated content, as fans can tag Gorillaz in any posts.

6. When the cursor is hovered over the icon in the far right corner, a drop down menu
appears, where you can select which music video to play in the background. All of
the Gorillaz’ music videos have the same aesthetic, and follow a similar narrative.
This means that whichever music video that is selected, will not disrupt the design of
the website. The website layout is very simple and minimalistic anyway, which
complements the music videos and makes the elements featured more striking.
Allowing the viewer to select the music video makes the website more interactive

7. There are also links to pages within the website that provide further
information. It is kept simple, and there is an option for fans to sign up
for any new updates about the band. This allows for more interaction
between the artist and fan, and allows them to promote themselves to
people who would be interested. The sign up is a pop up window, and
the viewer only needs to proivde a name, email and phone number. By
making the sign up process simpler, people will feel more inclined to
do so, as there is no fuss involved.

8. The news updates allow viewers see what the
band is doing, and shows that the artist is still
active. This encourages fans to keep engaged
and interested in the content they are putting
out.

9. Solange
Solange’s website is very minimalistic, and inspired by the format of an old Mac
desktop. There are “open windows” showing shots of her work, and an opportunity to
sign up for updates. There are also “folders” which provide links to various pages, such
as a list of tour dates, music videos and news.
http://www.solangemusic.com/#

10. Each time the viewer refreshes the page, new “windows” are shown, of different
pieces of Solange’s work. This makes her page, which was initially static and simple,
more dynamic, and may encourage viewers to come back, as it will not be exactly the
same each time. You are immediately, as aforementioned, presented with the
opportunity to sign up for updates, and there is no need to click onto another page.
This encourages fans to stay involved in Solange’s activities, and makes it known that
it is actually possible to do so in the first place.

11. Clicking on the music folder takes the viewer onto another page, where additional
hyperlinks will allow them to purchase Solange’s latest album in different formats,
such as Spotify, Apple Music or even on vinyl. By recognising the different formats
in which people choose to listen to music, she is more likely to sell records, as
people tend to stick to their preferences.

12. The entire website follows the same, minimalistic format, which makes the site
easier to navigate. The type font used and the way in which images are displayed is
reminiscent of an art gallery, which reinforces Solange’s image as an artist rather
than a celebrity. The newsfeed is kept current, being updated every week. It is not
limited to album release dates, for example in honor of Jazz composer Sun Ra, she
made a playlist of her favorite songs by him. This allows fans to gain insight into
her own influences and makes her more personable.

13. Occasionally, if the viewer clicks on another window, a pop up window will
appear, encouraging the user to sign up for their mailing list, offering the incentive
of special offers. This shows up when the user clicks on links within the site,
because it usually means they are interested in the artist’s work, and may be more
inclined to sign up for the subscription.

14. The “folder” titled works provides a list of hyperlinks to different projects Solange is
involved in, reinforcing her image as an artist/entrepreneur. It may also be motivated
by her wanting to establish her own name (not just Beyoncé's sister) and be known as
more than a celebrity or vocalist.

15. Tame Impala
https://tameimpala.com/
The homepage of Tame Impala has a psychedelic aesthetic, much like the genre of the
band. Art that has been made for the band, such as concert posters, are scattered
around the page in no particular pattern, and hyperlinks are shown in the corners to
other pages. The font used is specific to Tame Impala and is used on all their album
art. Although it is simplistic, there are enough subtle differences that may compel the
viewer to think of the band.

16. On the left hand side, icons are provided, linking the viewer to the band’s social media
sites. This is particularly important, as the band has a strong youth following
(prominently aged 17-25) who would most likely be active on Facebook and
Instagram. There is no Twitter or Snapchat linked, most likely because the band wants
to keep their communications streamlined and not too confusing, and those two
platforms tend to be the most widely used.

17. It is uncommon for artists to link contact details to management and press, but
Tame Impala most likely did this to be more personable and accessible to fans.
It also opens opportunity for collaboration, for example, if a magazine wanted
to interview them, it would easily be organized and Tame Impala would be able
to reach more people. Doing this will probably be more popular in the future,
as the industry is now more open, skills are more transferable and there are
more people who are able to share their abilities with each other, especially
with the Internet.

18. The Albums link provides roll over pictures of the albums, which in turn provide
hyperlinks to the lyrics, credits and music videos from the album. This additional
feature makes the site more interactive, and gives people a reason to visit the
website in the first place. Musician websites don’t tend to be the first place people
visit when discovering an artist, due to the proliferation of social media. However,
if someone was looking for the lyrics to a song from the album, they may visit the
website and be inclined to purchase band merchandise or concert tickets.