In the early years of the internet left-aligned websites were the normal. But in more recent years, as people browse on an increasing variety of devices and screen resolutions, central alignment has become pretty much the standard.
In the last year or two, however, I’ve been seeing more and more great examples of left-aligned websites and am of the opinion that, if done well, they can possess a unique quality that helps them stand out from the crowd.
The arguments against left aligned web design
The arguments against left-alignment in web design are pretty well documented. Most of which are focussed around the perceived better distribution of space that a centre-aligned web design offers.
As already mentioned, there is a far greater variety in the screen resolutions and devices accessing websites these days. Centre-aligned websites tend to handle this better.
Taking the example of a 27″ iMac screen, which has a resolution of 2560 x 1440, a 960px wide, left aligned website is going to look a bit lost right across one side of the browser window – particularly if the user is browsing in full screen mode.
There’s also the argument of familiarity. Visitors to websites tend to feel more comfortable in what they are familiar with and, with the vast majority of websites being centre aligned, seeing a website in the middle of their screen is exactly what they’re used to.
The arguments for left aligned web design
A Smashing Magazine study of Portfolio and Blog websites in 2009 (the most recent relevant stats I could find on the subject) found that 89% of the websites studied were centrally aligned, compared to only 11% that are left aligned. I think that it is because they are comparatively rare that a well designed left-aligned website can have a lot of impact.
With so many websites following the same web design rules and conventions, there is a lot of similarity around. An element of novelty and uniqueness can therefore help a website stand out from the crowd, meaning that web designers who are trying to do something innovative and a little bit different may choose to go down the left-alignment route.
The biggest challenge in overcoming the arguments against left-alignment is the effective use of space. Many of the best left-aligned websites rely on a minimal design and strong imagery to avoid becoming lost on the far side of a visitors browser window.
Examples of well designed left aligned websites
Here are 5 examples of what I think are really well designed left-aligned websites. You’ll notice that all of the websites belong to designers or design-based companies, which probably reinforces the point above about novelty and uniqueness.
Andfold
Visit website: andfold.co.uk
Giles Revell
Visit website: gilesrevell.com
Adrian Newell
Visit website: adriannewell.co.uk
Because Studio
Visit website: becausestudio.co.uk
Academy
Visit website: weareacademy.com
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