Design That Works: Baked

Now this is a design that is sure to please your tastebuds! We say that because its for Baked, a bakery cafe with locations in New York and South Carolina. We saw this website and we instantly fell in love. This is in part due to the crisp pictures of baked goods. Either way, we want to share this site with you and also let you know why this design works.

Why This Design Works:
This is our expert analysis for this design.

• Color: Nice warm colors compliment the nature of the business. (No pun intended, check out their logo, something tells us they are a very cool spot to hang out and grab a sweet treat).
• Pictures: If you visit their website, you’ll notice that their homepage rotates pictures of the daily happenings in the cafe. We’re talking extreme closeups of the baking process, including the batter and delicious cupcakes. Does that not make you want to put their address into your GPS right now and find your way there?
• Simplicity: This website is simple and easy to navigate through, making it very professional. The navigation doesn’t have any complicated fonts or items that leave you questioning “what were they thinking?”
• Texture: We are always a fan of finding a way to add dimension and texture to a website without going over the top or having something be too overpowering! The simple use of the wood grain background is very effective and further compliments the natural color palette.
• Good Copy: Take a look at the ABOUT page. Here’s an excerpt from their history section: “Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito spent much of their youth (or what was left of it) in the world of advertising.  Matt, a producer, spent his days hidden away in a cubicle stuffed with spreadsheets, post-its, and relentless voice mails, while Renato spent his time in the more rarefied field of graphic design (i.e. making things look beautiful so people would buy them).  Their thoughts were never too far from cake and coffee.” Their copy is fun, simple, to the point, and easy to relate too (whether you’re one of those working adults trapped in a cubicle or you’re someone with an idea for a business). It’s very positive and written with a twist humor….shaken, not stirred.
• Constructive Feedback: Our only recommendation would be to center this website so that it floats when someone expands the window. Most of us are operating on wide screen computers these days. But other than that, this is a design that works!