Website Prototype 1

Website design Journey:

To create the website I used Wix.com a cloud based web development platform that allows users to create HTML5 websites and mobile sites.

In order to obtain the desired outcome of my website, powerpoint was inappropriate because of the restricted layout and lack of options. However, I used the ideas from my mock up as guidance, which made it much easier to create. Moreover, feedback from my target audience about my website mock up revealed that Powerpoint lacked the interactivity which is critical for a website to be effective.

I used my digipak’s front cover image as the main image on the home page, and there is also a similar shot featured in my final video. This links my tasks together, which establishes continuity.

In order to put images on my website they had to be a certain size. The maximum size the images could be was 15mb, some of the images I had were raw files, which meant they were too large. Wix also recommended personal images should be: 1920 px in width and 1280px in height. To alter this I used the crop tool in Adobe Photoshop resize my images to these requirements. This enabled me to include what I wanted in the recommended frame. I then saved the files as a JPEG to make sure they were less than 15mb.

Homepage:

This mid shot of the artist on the digipak cover enables the audience to clearly see who the artist is. This in turn provides information to the viewers, so they know who the website is about. The long exposure gives the image a mysterious look and connotes that the album is going to be very thought provoking and unique. The artist’s facial expression is extremely intense and is looking directly at the camera, thus making a connection with the audience and captivating their attention with the mysterious visuals. Moreover, the image is in black and white, suggesting the album will include dark themes, which adds to the mystery of the artwork, as it applies a sinister twist. It could also be argued that the black and white colour scheme connotes that the artist has regrets about his past, thus adding to the sinister undertone of the artwork. There is only a little lighting on his face, which gives an enigmatic connotation to the artists making the audience want to find out what may be on his mind.

The sans-serif typography is large and clearly states the name of the album and the artist. It makes the cover look modern and is emphasised by contrast of the colour of the text (Orange and white) and the black and white image. The sans serif font of the title of the album (Bad behaviour) looks handwritten – so the connotation is that it looks like the artist wrote it on the album at a time of desperation, most likely during one of his mental breakdowns which makes the album feel more personal and unique which acts as a unique selling point and makes it stick out from all of the other albums. The scribbles suggest that the artist wrote this during a time of suffering, intensifying the deep, dark meaning behind the album and highlighting how this music is the artist’s form of escapism. Moreover, the sans serif font (Distortion Dos Analogue) of the artist’s name is distorted and looks irregular, connoting that it doesn’t conform to normal typefaces that display artist’s names. This is reflective rebellious attitude that is often explored in alternative rock music, so the genre of the album is signified to the audience through the presentation of the font. On the music page the same image is used and there is a button underneath that gives the audience the option to listen to the album. My research showed me that this is a standard convention of artist’s websites and acts as a promotional tool.

Slideshow of images on the homepage:

In response to a comment from my target audience, I filled massive gap in the homepage. Initially, I filled it with merchandise like I said I would in the website mock up, however it looked really bad and undermine the professional, elegant and authentic look that I wanted to website to have, so I replaced it with a slideshow of images from the shoot of the music video. I included a slideshow on my homepage, which shows my personal images. These images were from scenes in the music video, connoting that the main focus of the website is the music video. I saw the slideshow as an opportunity to link my tasks to my final video. I included shots from the video, which would build suspense and make them want to watch the video. It also allows the audience to get familiar with the artist. The images have changed slightly to the ones that I had planned from my mock up, additionally in response to audience feedback I have reduced the amount of images that are in the slideshow, in order to keep the main focus of the website on the music video. The first two images are close ups of candles as they play a pivotal role of symbolism in the music video, so they are key scene in the music video and their connotations from the storyboard are still relevant here. These images were taken during the video shoot and link the website to the music video, maintaining continuity. Image three and five depict the past, which is another key theme that is explored in my music video. Again, the connotations seen in the storyboard are relevant here. One image is a close up of the baby picture of the artist and his brother, whereas the other image is a long shot showing the two sitting on a bench at the location that symbolises the past in my music video. There are two pictures showing the past on my homepage to connote its importance throughout my whole media project. The final picture is a high angle close up of the drumsticks hitting the drum – which provides an insight into the action that is displayed in my music video. This attempts to steer the viewer to watch the music video. The viewer can click on any of the pictures to bring up a window that lets them view the images at a much better quality but at a lower resolution.

Social Media:

Included on the website are various hyperlinks to all forms of social media that the artist is on. As I found in my research, most social media tabs are in the top right hand corner of websites so this is where I positioned them as I wanted my website to follow modern conventions so that it looks more professional and authentic. Also, by doing this I am responding to my audience feedback as it makes the website more interactive. I made the hyperlinks by going to the official page and copying the Url (Uniform Resource Locator) from the browser and copy pasting it into Wix’s navigation system. I had to get each individual Url for each corresponding social media platform.

Navigation bar:

The wix template included a generic navigation bar. I changed the bar so that each page corresponded with my website mock up. These buttons make it easy to navigate around the website, allowing viewers to get to where they need to within two clicks. This is important as interest can be lost if the site is too complex. Moreover, my research informed me that the navigation bar is a convention of websites.

Music page + Video:

By clicking the music hyperlink on the navigation bar the audience will be taken to the music page of my website. I have embedded my finished music video from my YouTube channel onto the website. This automatically plays when the music page loads – this instantly grabs the attention of the audience member and draws their attention to it. The auto play feature is also a very easy way for people to listen to the artist’s music without listening to the whole album. It will draw the audience attention and showcase the artist’s talent. I have stuck to my plan of using a grey-scaled image of a swing set as the background for the video – reinforcing the theme of the past. The background picture is a photo of an isolated swing set to reinforce the feeling of nostalgia. The picture is black and white to connote that it is lost and is in the past, which is reflective of the longing for the past that is explored in my music video thereby connecting the two products. I also have a device that gives the audience the option to listen to the full album by clicking the play button, however, it currently does not work and will need to be fixed in the final tweaks to the website. This will be fixed when I adjust the website to the feedback I get from my audience. I have also included the actual retail price of the album to reinforce the realism of the website. Furthermore, I have introduced the new album on the music page as it is the first thing that can be seen, just like it is the first thing that can be seen on the home page, the connotation of this is that it highlights the importance of the music and how the music is more important than the artist. It also acts as a promotional function that websites tend to use to promote new releases from the artist. I also plan to include an image of myself so the audience can identify who the artist is and can put a face to the name. The contrast between the Serif and sans serif font connote that the album doesn’t fit in with a set genre/style, as the songs in the album are diverse and cover a variety of genres, thus highlighting one of the albums unique selling points. The sans serif font above the image of the artist connote that he is a unsophisticated and is a more regular and rough teenager, reflecting the style of music that he plays. The connotation of the bold effect of the font is that suggests that there is something dynamic about this person that makes him stand out, it is alluding to his mental illness (MADD) that is explored and fleshed out in the music video and digipak. The image of the artist will be a long shot so the audience can clearly see him, he will be wearing the jumper that he wore in the music video, and that he is wearing in the digipak cover. This creates continuity between my three media products.

Often people just want to listen to one song before listening to an album. Having a promotional music video draws people in, allowing them to get to know the artist.

Tour:

As requested by my target audience, I have simplified the layout of the tour page and I have also removed the image that was distracting the audience’s attention away from the tour dates. I have also connected the Bandsintown account to the official Twenty One Pilots so that the tour dates on the website are the official tour dates for the actual band. This adds a level of realism and authenticity to the website. I have stuck with the black, white and orange colour scheme in order to establish continuity between the three media products and to promote the artist’s brand (as the colours associated with the artist are Black, White and Orange). These colours ensure that the dates stand out on the page so that they are clearly visible to the target audience.

About:

I have changed the layout of the about page slightly as I wanted to continue using a black background on every page on the website to establish continuity. I have kept an image of the artist but it is a much smaller size, however he will still be clearly visible and identifiable so the connotations don’t change. I have also included a few paragraphs of information about the artist. There are hyperlinks in the writing that the audience can click if they want to know any more about that specific detail. This improves the interactivity of my website, making it a useful resource that provides a detailed background about the artist. I decided to change the font of the title to sans serif in order to coincide with the text on the other pages as it maintains continuity throughout the website.

Merchandise:



The merchandise page looked really bad and my target audience agreed with me, as a result i have decided to remove it as it doesn't add much to the website.

Audience Feedback:

Home page:

“I think you should add a little description of the album in the space underneath the buy now buttons as it will fill the empty space, or include something along the lines of #1 Best seller to fill the empty space as it is distracting and look unprofessional.”

“You should add the logo of the artist (Twenty one pilots) to the homepage, as it is a convention of homepages and will make the website look more authentic.”

“The Homepage is lacking in terms of content, I think you should add something to develop it as in its current state it looks unfinished, include something like the latest news about the artist as that seems to be a convention of website like these.”

“I think you should make the background black and the text white as it would make the site look more classy and polished.”

“I think you could improve the website by making it more navigable, for example making it so that navigation through a page is faster and easier rather than just making it easy to get to the page.”

“The links on the homepage that are suppose to redirect you to the sites where you can purchase the album don’t work, you should add these links as it would improve the websites interactivity.”

Music page:

“You need to change the image on the music page to a picture of you – the current one is not you and is misleading as I got confused about who the artist was”

“You need to change the image of the swing set to one that you took as it is misleading and adds to the atmosphere of the website.”

About page:

“You need to change the image on about page to picture of you as the one there is not you so its unclear who the artist actually is”

Merchandise Page:

“The merch page looks really bad and takes away from the sophisticated design of the website, you should either change it completely or just remove it as it doesn’t add much to the website.”

My Response To Audience Feedback:

Here is what I plan to do change in order to appeal and adjust the website to what the target audience have said:

1. I shall add a small description of the album on the homepage to fill the gap.
2. I will add the logo of the band to the website and put it in the top left hand corner as that is traditionally where the logo of the band goes on the website.
3. I shall add a thread of the latest news about the artist to flesh out the homepage.
4. I have Changed the background of the website to black and the text to white to make it look more elegant, classy and sophisticated.
5. I will add more features to improve the navigation of the individual pages to make the website more interactive.
6. I will fix the links on the homepage that are meant to take the audience to the respected page where they can purchase the album.
7. I will change the image on the music page to a picture of myself to establish that I am the artist and so that the audience can put a name to the face.
8. I will change the image of the abandoned swing-set to one that I have taken and edited.
9. I will change the image on the about page to an image of myself - for the same reasons as why i'm changing the picture on the music page.
10. I will remove the merchandise page.

Website Mock up

I created a mock-up of my website using PowerPoint. The purpose of this mock-up was to develop and experiment with my ideas. I also wanted to get an indication into which layout I would be using.

Homepage:

The first thing seen on the website is the new album from the artist. This is deliberate as the music is the unique selling point of the artist and it tends to be what the audience like the most about the artist. As a result of it being the first thing seen on the website, it informs the audience of the release of the new album. However, the album produced on the mock up website is rather small, so it needs to be enlarged as it is the main point of attraction. I may also decide to centre the album on the page to signify that it is the main point of attraction. This also acts as a form of promotion for the album. This is a common strategy that is implemented in most modern music websites. This in turn encourages more streams and downloads which in turn will increase the revenue that the artist and the label will receive.

Moreover, feedback from my target audience has shown that they don’t like the font of the artist’s logo, as it looks too childish considering the genre of music. In response, I will change the font to a more simple and rugged/ sharper font to reflect the connotations associated with rock music, being associated with aggression and violence. Furthermore, the audience also didn’t like the empty space on the home page, so in response I will make the digipak larger and feature some merchandise in order to fill up the unnecessary space.

Also, I have provided links to websites where the album can be purchased as this tended to be a convention, which I gathered from my previous website research. I researched My Chemical Romance’s website in the past which used their newest album on the home page so it can be considered to be the inspiration behind the layout of my website. By following conventions and having a layout like this, my website becomes closer to a realistic media product which in turn makes it look more authentic.

I have used a white background on the website to contrast the dark colours featured on the digipak to enhance the artwork and to make it stand out. From my research, I learnt that, most websites have a horizontal navigation bar across the top of the page for easy navigation around the website. So, I too have used a horizontal navigation bar across the top of the page that utilises hyperlinks on my website so that the audience can find what information that they are looking for easily and quickly. It also enables the audience to find the artist’s music instantly. I learnt that the use of hyperlinks are a convention of music websites from my research so once again my product is close to a professional and realistic website as it follows conventions.

From my research, I learnt that the primary photo on most websites is one of the artist. This can be the photo that is used on the cover of the artist’s newest album, or a collage of photos from tours, gigs and photo shoots used for the promotion of their album. In some cases the main image on the website isn’t linked to their newest album, for example, if they are an established artist and have been successful for a long time, their image might be one that generally matches their known star image and style, like P!NK’s website. So, I have decided to feature a picture of the artist on the homepage, which can be seen on the cover of the digipak, this instantly creates a connection between the artist and the brand name so the audience can put a face to the name. the artist will also be wearing the same clothes as the ones he wore in the music video in order to create a sense of continuity and brand between the three products.

My website research showed that the artist’s logo is usually consistent with the font and colour of their most recent album cover. This is used to promote their new album, as the artist will want to gain as much exposure as possible to increase the sales of their new album/song. The logo also tends to match the overall theme of the website. As a result I have kept the same font and colour scheme of the artist’s logo on the website and the digipak, moreover I have used the same black and white colour scheme for the two products too. However, my target audience didn’t like the font so both will be changed to a different font that is more suited to appeal to my target audience.

Additionally, there are the artist’s social media links on the homepage. The social media tab is full of hyperlinks, which will take consumers to Twenty One Pilots’ social media account pages. This includes; Soundcloud, Spotify and Youtube. Consumers will be able to find the artist’s music on these sites. Furthermore, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are featured, these sites enable the audience to keep up with the artist’s lifestyle.

The black and white colour scheme continues throughout the website to create a sense of continuity. It also connects it to the digipak as they both follow the same colour scheme; this reinforces the idea of the two products being a part of a brand.

Music - Slide 2:

My website research taught me that more often than not, there is a page dedicated to music videos, or videos of live performances. This use of multi-media encourages the audience to view more of the artist’s content, especially on YouTube, because YouTube views have recently become another measure of popularity and success, as well as album sales. Sometimes the music videos are restricted to one page on the website, however, other times the music videos are a feature on the homepage, where consumers can view them in a small section.

In response to this I have created a page dedicated to my music video in order to follow modern music website conventions. By doing this my website looks more authentic and genuine.

Clicking the music hyperlink will take people to the music video page. For the mock up I have just put in a screenshot of a video that is about to start playing so that I could get an idea of how the spacing would be. As of right now my video can be activated by the clicking on it, however, for my final website I want to make my videos play automatically as it will hopefully draw the attention of the audience to the music video which is the main focus of the website. The music video will be from YouTube and will be embedded on my site. This will be the final version of my music video and will link the three tasks together.

The background picture is a photo of an isolated swing set to reinforce the feeling of nostalgia. The picture is black and white to connote that it is lost and is in the past, which is reflective of the longing for the past that is explored in my music video thereby connecting the two products.

Gallery - Slide 3:

This will be a slideshow of some pictures from the music video shoot. However, feedback from my target audience showed that they thought that there were too many pictures so I will no be including the close up of the artist or a picture of the student’s room. Instead I will have a close up of the artist on the about page as it seems more fitting. This will provide an insight into the actual music video and some of the visuals that are included in the video.

Tour - Slide 4:

The ‘Tour’ hyperlink takes the consumer to a list of dates and venues. I used an image of the official twenty-one pilots band on tour however, my target audience didn’t like this as they said it was distracting and the main focus of the tour page should be the providing the consumer with the dates of the tour. In response to this, I will remove the picture and fill up the space with extra tour dates when making my final website.

About - Slide 5:

The ‘about’ hyperlink will take the consumer to a page of information about the artist with an image of him in the centre to show that he is the main focus point and centre of attention of the page.

Slide 6:

The ‘Merch’ hyperlink will send the consumer to the official Twenty one Pilots merchandise page where they can buy official merchandise form the band.

Audience Feedback:

Good:

- They liked the Colour scheme, they said it looks very sophisticated in Black and white

- They liked the way I promoted the digipak on the home page as it is the first thing being seen

- They also liked the pictures


Improvements:

- They said that the website could be more interactive – My response will be to make the website more interactive by imbedding links onto the site so navigation is easier. By doing this the website also becomes more interactive

- They said that there were too many images in the gallery section, so many that it was distracting the audience from the main focus of the website, which is the music video – My response will be to reduce the number of pictures in the gallery section on the website so that the focus is restored back to the music video

- They also commented on how I should fill up the empty space on the home page – My response will be to fill this space with some merchandise which will act as another form of promotion which in turn may boost sales of the artist’s merch

- One member of my target audience suggested that I could create a slideshow for the pictures that are in the gallery section – My response will be to use this idea in my final design for the website as it will make the website look more professional and authentic

- One member of my target audience said that they didn’t like the cover image for the digipak as it was too grey and looked bland and boring – My response will be to use a lighter shade of black and white so that the greyscale is not overpowering.

- As seen on the digipak feedback – some members of my target audience didn’t like the font that was featured on the digipak as it looked childish – My response will be to run a tally with 15 people from my target audience to see which font they like the most and the winner of the poll will be used in the final design. By doing this I know that I will be appealing to the majority of my target audience even though the sample is small.

- They also didn’t like the image on the tour page, they said it was too big and recommended that I either remove it or use a smaller image as it distracting – My response will be to remove the image as it is too distracting from the main focus of the page, which is the tour dates.

Target Audience Feedback Tally:

Conclusion:

My results show that the majority of the Target audience like the font Bad behaviour, so in the end I wont be changing the font. However, by doing this I now know that I am appealing to the majority of my target audience.

Twenty One Pilots Website Analysis

Home Page:

A mid shot of the two band members that make up the band ‘Twenty One Pilots’ is used as the main image on the home page. This establishes who they are, allowing the audience to identify the band’s members whilst conveying their appearances and personas through a still image. The image of the two members takes up the entire page signifying the importance that they hold in relation to the band. The name of the band is positioned at the top of the page to illustrate the fact that these two men are the members of the band called ‘Twenty One Pilots’. 

Furthermore, this is the bands logo which means that the consumers will be able to recognise the artist’s brand. Additionally, there are abstract patterns featured on the page in the upper left and bottom right corners of the screenshot. These are patterns that feature on the cover of the band’s new album ‘Blurryface’, Tyler Joseph (The lead singer of ‘Twenty One Pilots’ stated in an interview that each pattern represents a song on the album and that these patterns add a deeper layer of meaning to the art as each pattern has a special meaning to him and the drummer of the band Josh dun. So this acts a promotional feature on the website as it is promoting their new album in an obscure and subtle way and acts as an easter egg for the more diehard fans. All of these elements come together to create an aesthetically pleasing, simple and effective website layout.

The two are positioned very close together which connotes their chemistry and strong connection. The overlapping shoulders and closeness unites the band as one making their relationship appear strong which suggest that they have known each other for quite some time and are comfortable around each other.

They are dressed in white clothing which is an oxymoron as their music explores dark themes like depression and loss. The clothing that the lead singer wears is reflective of the character that he plays in the music videos of the songs featured on the new album. He plays a character who is insecure about everything however he is especially insecure about the songs he writes and sings, so to represent this he wears black paint on his neck and hands. Tyler also wears the paint in the music video for ‘Stressed out’. 

The other insecurities are connoted as he wears multiple layers to cover his body and a hat to cover his hair. The other character that is depicted throughout the album is Blurryface, he is the opposite of lead singer Tyler Joseph. Blurryface would be Hyde if Tyler was Dr. Jekyll. Blurryface’s presence is connoted by darkness and the colour red and the red hat that he wears connotes that Blurryface is trapped inside his mind where he is constantly tormenting Tyler. This is seen in the song ‘Fairly Local’ as during the bridge Blurrface sings ‘Yo, this song will never be on the radio’ which indicates that Blurrface wants Tyler to change the music style whereas Tyler sings “I’m fairly local, I’ve been around.” This is an indication of him still staying true to his roots and how he feels a connection to his true fans who have been with him from the beginning. ‘Fairly Local’ is the 4th track on ‘Blurryface’.

The aggressive facial expression of Josh dun is reflective of the passion and energy that is expressed in their music. Moreover, this also portrays him as a dominant and masculine man which are qualities of a stereotypical man, so the female fans of the band may feel a sense of sexual attraction towards him as he is being presented as a hooligan. The use of direct eye contact with the camera captivates the attention of their target audience and stimulates a closer, almost personal connection between the band and audience members. So the bond between the two are strengthened and fans will feel more passionate about them due to this feeling of a connection. The non-revealing outfits also reflects the age of the audience as it is a youthful age range from 10-18.

Webstore:

Immediately after the home page is the webstore which is accessed by scrolling down the page or by being inactive for about 30 seconds, at which point the site will automatically scroll the page down. It is the first page that appears after the home page. The pictures act as a hyperlink which sends the user to the band’s official store page where they can purchase the artist’s merchandise, music in various forms including CD, Digital, Vinyl and even Cassette; this indicates that the band is also trying to appeal to an older market as they still produce their music on ‘old media’ like Vinyl and cassette. This acts as promotional coverage for the band’s merchandise.

Hyperlinks:

The hyperlinks are in a menu that is on the left of the webstore page, the mouse curser can be seen hovering over it in the screenshot. This in turn means that the hyperlinks are slightly difficult to find, however, it makes the websites layout look more clean and professional. The hyperlinks make the website navigation simple and easy for the consumer. Everything about the band is categorised and easy to access. The font that the hyperlinks use is the same font which is used in the band’s logo which indicates that the content featured within these categories are a part of the ‘Twenty One Pilots’ brand. On the other hand, the content may just be information about the band itself.

Music:

The music hyperlink takes the consumer to Twenty One Pilot’s discography. It shows their first studio album ‘Vessel’ and their newest album ‘Blurryface.’ Clicking one of the albums redirects the consumer to a page featuring the release date of the album, the track list and provides 3 links where the consumer has a choice of downloading, streaming or going to the site’s store to purchase the album. This allows the consumer to access the information that they want to know easily and quickly. The albums are laid out chronologically with the latest album ‘Blurryface.’ This allows the audience to see and listen to the progression and continuity of the group. It also allows the audience to hear how their sound and style of music has evolved over the years.

As I have previously analysed the cover of Blurryface, I shall now go on to analyse the cover of ‘Vessel’. Vessel is the third album released by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, which was released on January 8, 2013. It is the band's first studio album released via Fueled by Ramen, and their major-label debut album. As of July 2016, the album sold 569,000 copies. The two elderly men pictured on the album cover are Joseph and Dun's grandfathers. This signifies that they have a close bond with them as they were chosen feature on their first studio album. All of ‘Twenty One Pilot’s’ albums don’t feature the band on the cover, which suggest that they are not concerned with their image.

News:

The news section of the website allows consumers and fans of the band to stay up to date with all the news surrounding the band. This helps strengthen the connection between the band and the target audience. The news includes new releases, events, streaming news, new merchandise and information about some of the songs that feature on the new album. The black and white and orange colour scheme shows continuity throughout the website.

Pictures:

The band also features professional quality pictures on the website to depict the emotion and passion that is expressed during their live performances which aims to encourage current and new fans to go and see them live. The pictures are all in black and white, which is used to reflect the dark themes that are explored in their music.

Tour:

There is a hyperlink to all of Twenty One Pilots’ tour dates on the webpage. This informs all of their fans of the venues that the band will be performing at. It also gives them the options to buy tickets and tells them which shows are sold out.

Social Media:

‘Twenty One Pilots’ use social media in order to make it easier for their fan base to find and follow them. This allows them to stay in contact and feel a connection with the artist.

There are a variety of options because different age ranges use specific sites; for instance Facebook is associated with the older generation, as they are the prime users whereas Twitter is associated with young people as they primarily use it. So by doing this, the band has the potential to appeal to the widest demographic as the band has a profile on most mainstream social media networks so all age ranges will have the option to follow them if they want to.

The band’s presence on social media is important as they are now considered a mainstream band so the fans will want to connect, learn about and keep updated on one of their favourite bands. The social networking sites can also be used as a marketing tool which is more effective than the actual website as it reaches the target audience directly and quickly. So this can also be considered as a smart business move as it is another effective form of promotion for when they release a new song, album or when they are touring. Additionally, the band also features a link to their YouTube page, which will direct the consumer to the ‘Twenty One Pilots’ channel, where one of their songs will automatically play so the band will gain some money from advertisement revenue. Moreover, the consumer might want to explore some more of their music, increasing the revenue that they will receive.

Also the band can update their following using social media. Through technological convergence these sites have become accessible on most devices making them able to see when are where he uploads images or videos.

They feature this option at the bottom of all of the pages that are on their website. There is also the option to submit your email address. This will put said email address on a mailing list, where the website will send out emails about tour dates, video premieres, special announcements. In addition, the consumer will receive a special offer on their birthday.

My Chemical Romance Website Analysis

Home page & Promotion:

The band’s newest album is the first thing seen on the page. This serves a promotional purpose. Immediately the audience can see what they receive when they purchase the new album as the bonus track list is explicitly featured. The website uses an opaque image of the album cover as the background of the website which enhances the overall look of the site. The consumer will be able to purchase the album with the added extras if they scroll down onto the next page.

The text size of the band name and title indicates that this is the official website for the band known as ‘My Chemical Romance’. The fact that the text is larger connotes that it is the most important aspect on this page. The text’s size also indicates that it is the focus point of the home page. The release date of the album is featured too, which highlights that this is the band’s latest release, which is big news as ‘My Chemical Romance’ broke up in 2013.

Artists and repertoire (A&R) is the division of a record label or music publishing company that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists and songwriters. So, the small text at the bottom of the page reveals that they have dedicated this release to Craig Aaronson, the man who scouted them and oversaw the development of the band. This act shows that the band is humble in its success and remains loyal to the people who helped them start out and grow.

 

Here, the audience can see that they are able to purchase the album from a variety of web stores or stream the music. However, the site offers freebies if the consumer chooses to purchase the new album from the official site.

Official site:

The consumer is greeted with an ugly and simplistic layout when they enter the official site. The band’s logo is clearly shown which means that the consumers will be able to recognise the artist’s brand. Five hyperlinks are also featured on the left hand side of the page; this gives the site a clean but simplistic look whilst also allowing the consumer to navigate the site quickly and easily. Everything about the band is categorised and easy to access. The site’s colour scheme is black and white reflecting the dark themes explored within their music. However, the layout of the page leaves an ugly and unimpressive impression as the page looks more like a blogging social media site, rather than an official website for a popular band.

News:

The home page of the official site is the news page for the band. The news section of the website allows consumers and fans of the band to stay up to date with all the news surrounding the band. This helps strengthen the connection between the band and the target audience. The news includes new releases, events, streaming news, new merchandise and information about some of the songs that feature on the new album. The black and white and colour scheme shows continuity throughout the website.

Photos:

The band also features professional quality pictures on the website to depict the emotion and passion that is expressed during their live performances which aims to encourage current and new fans to go and see them live.

Community:

There is a community section on the bands site where fans can come to post or comment on various issues, therefore this fan base is unified as they have somewhere where they can talk and help each other. There is a sense of continuity as the page continues with the black and white colour scheme. However, there are some rules about posting on the page to minimise abuse and to maintain a positive tone.

There is also information and the numbers for helplines to help specific fans who have disorders or problems. These helplines aim to try to solve or at least ease the pain behind the issue that the fan may have. This is incredibly important as it shows that the band cares about the safety and well being of their fans. This connotes that they care for their fans and strengthens the bond between artist and audience.

Merch:

The hyperlink sends the consumer to the bands official store page where they can purchase the artist’s merchandise, music in various forms including CD, Digital, Vinyl and even Cassette; this indicates that the band is also trying to appeal to an older market as they still produce their music on ‘old media’ like Vinyl and cassette. This acts as promotional coverage for the band’s merchandise. The merchandise includes: clothing, backpacks, wristbands, pencils etc.

Tour:

There is a hyperlink to all of the bands tour dates on the webpage. This informs all of their fans of the venues that the band will be performing at. It also gives them the options to buy tickets and tells them which shows are sold out. However, the band broke up in 2013 so there are currently no tour dates available. It will likely remain this way until the band decides to do a reunion tour or possibly a one off show.

Social Media:

The band uses social media in order to make it easier for their fan base to find and follow them. This allows them to stay in contact and feel a connection with the Musicians. The band has accounts on the two largest social media websites, this in turn allows for the largest possible following as the majority of first world countries have social media accounts on either Facebook or Twitter.

The band’s presence on social media is important as they are quite an old mainstream band so the fans will want to connect, learn about and keep updated on one of their favourite bands. The social networking sites can also be used as a marketing tool which is more effective than the actual website as it reaches the target audience directly and quickly. So this can also be considered as a smart business move as it is another effective form of promotion for when they release a new song, album or when they are touring. Additionally, the band also features a link to their YouTube page, which will direct the consumer to the ‘My Chemical Romance’ channel, where one of their songs will automatically play so the band will gain some money from advertisement revenue. Moreover, the consumer might want to explore some more of their music, increasing the revenue that they will receive.

The White Noise Website Analysis

Home Page:

The home page for the band features a music video for the bands most popular song ‘Picture Day’. The background of the homepage is the set from the music video, adding a sense of continuity throughout the site. It also acts as an intertextual reference to the music video, which enhances the website. The house is a destroyed wreck and is extremely messy, it is a stereotypical room of a rocker. So, Immediately, the consumer is aware that this band cover the rock genre of music. The destroyed room is also reflective of the aggressive style of music that the band plays, connoting that the music is so aggressive that it can destroy everything around you. Additionally, the band features their newest album on the page, acting as a promotional purpose. The audience is also shown where they will be able to purchase the new album. The band sells their music in various forms including CD, Digital, Vinyl and even Cassette; this indicates that the band is trying to appeal to an older market as they still produce their music on ‘old media’ like Vinyl and cassette. It also adds a collectable element to their music as Vinyl is a collectable and collectors will pay high prices for some vinyl records.

The White Noise is an American post-hardcore group from Dallas, Texas, (but currently in Los Angeles, California) formed in 2009 under the name Set The Sun. Formed by David Southern and Alex Summers, the band has gone through many line-up changes, most notably the departure of every member (other than Southern) in 2013, leaving Southern as the sole founding member. Aren't You Glad? is the third release by The White Noise, and the first under their moniker The White Noise. The EP was released on February 26, 2016, under Fearless Records.

The image from the YouTube video reveals the whole band, establishing who they are, allowing the audience to identify the band’s members whilst conveying their appearances and personas through a still image. It also enables the audience to identify the band and will be able to recognize them in the future. Immediately the audience can listen to their music and explore more of their songs. This will result in the band receiving more money from YouTube advertisement revenue, which in turn will increase their profits when a consumer listens to their sound.

Six hyperlinks are featured along the top of the page making the navigation of the site quick and easy, whilst giving the website a simplistic look. The logo of the band is also featured at the top of the home page which means that the consumers will be able to recognise the artist’s brand. The YouTube video is in the centre of the page indicating that it is the focus point; the connotation subtly implies that the band believes that the most important part about them is their music. All the text is white creating a link to the name of the band and their logo as the colour of their logo is white. This strengthens the continuity throughout the site. The font of their logo is in a spray paint style, which has connotations of vandalism and vandalism is an activity that is associated with rock music and hooligans.

Social Media:

‘The White Noise’ uses hyperlinks to their social media in order to make it easier for their fans to find and follow them. This allows them to stay in contact and feel a connection with the band.

There are a variety of options in-case certain people only use one type of social networking site. ‘The White Noises’ presence is important as an upcoming band because it helps the audience get to know the members a little more personally, which in turn strengthens the bond between the artist and audience. 

Moreover, they can update their following using social media. Through technological convergence these sites have become accessible on most devices making them able to see when are where they upload images or videos. This becomes another effective form of promotion for when he tours.

About:

The about page provides information about the band, including the name of the members and what their role in the band is. The page contains informal language, with multiple spelling and grammar mistakes. This suggests that one of the members typed this themselves and reinforces the stereotype that all rockers are uneducated hooligans that are aggressive and just want to cause trouble. The background image reveals all the members of the band which is important as a photograph of the band allows the audience to know who the different members are. The outfits of the members connote that they are rockers as they are wearing stereotypical clothing that is associated with rock music, i.e. ripped jeans, denim and dark clothing. The colour of the text is white so once again, the continuity is reinforced.

Tour:

There is a hyperlink to all The White Noises’ tour dates on the webpage. This informs all their fans of the venues that the band will be performing at. It also gives them the options to buy tickets and tells them which shows are sold out. The image of the lead singer is taken from a low angle and therefore empowers him as he is presented to be looking down at the audience, in a way to be bettering himself. His action of spitting out water also implies that this individual is a vulgar and aggressive punk, his attitude is reflected in the lyrics and sound of the bands music. Moreover, his shirt denotes that the individual is trashy, impulsive and repulsive as the shirt has offensive and vulgar content on it. Nonetheless, the picture is an action shot and depicts the type of energy and behaviour that occurs at one of the White Noises’ live performances; this in turn may encourage current and new fans to see them live.


Music:

The hyperlink takes the consumer to their albums’ iTunes page where the audience can purchase their album for $6.99 or buy individual songs for $1.29 each. The page depicts all 6 of the tracks featured in the ‘Aren’t You Glad?’ EP. A snippet of the song can be heard for free on the official iTunes web store, so consumers can hear a demo of the song and make an informed decision on whether they like it or not before they purchase it. The page also shows the duration of the songs and customer reviews of the album. There have been 56 reviews of the album so far and the overall rating is five stars, indicating that the album is popular with their fan base.

Videos:

The hyperlink on the page takes the consumer to the Fearless Records YouTube page, which is the band’s label that they are signed to. This ensures that both the band and the record label mutually benefit, as the consumers will be able to explore The White Noises’ music whilst also having the option of exploring other artists that are signed to the label. The mutual benefits come from the consumer watching videos on their channel, as the label will receive Advertisement revenue that will be shared between the Fearless Records and the artist. The amount that they both receive depends on the amount agreed in the contract when the band signed to them.

Store:

The store hyperlink takes the consumer to the store page where they can purchase the band’s music, including their latest album, and their merchandise. There is not much choice of merchandise as the band is relatively new and because they have a relatively small niche audience so potential sales are low. However, as the band increases in popularity they will feature and sell more merchandise. The background image of the store page is the image used on the album cover; this aims to further promote their new album.

Contact:

The contact hyperlink takes the consumer to a page where they can contact the band about various events. The consumer can book a show for an upcoming event of festival or perhaps a small local event. The band mentioned in an interview with AMBY that they might perform at some local house parties, as they believe it would be fun, however, it would also be a really effective form of promotion as their target audience is teenagers aged 15+. The house performances would enable direct interaction with their audience and would instantly create a strong bond between the audience and artists as the people there would be able to interact and talk to the band which creates an idea in the audiences mind that they are friends.