For the second post of the Design Crush series, we thought it apt to review the new online Zavvi (http://www.zavvi.co.uk) website. Since the high street chain went into administration last year, the online store has been re-launched and is now open for business as usual. As avid fans of buying DVD’s and CD’s online, we jumped at the chance to check out the website and pass our judgement.

There are plenty of sites out their all doing the same as Zavvi, such as Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk) and Play (http://www.play.com) so it faces stiff competition for established and popular sites. However, the Zavvi site feels a little fresher and slightly more straightforward than its more well known competition. This is largely due to the good use of colours and layout. The colour scheme is derived from the well recognised logo and it works well in creating an eye-catching and inviting theme that gives it strong personality and a bold statement to match.

One major element of the site that truly stands out is the lack of additional adverts that seem to cover the other entertainment retailing sites. Because of this, the website design seems to be clearer and gives the site a more welcoming feel instead of bombarding you with in-your-face advertising. This also makes it easy to work your way around the site, with an easy to use menu and clear product layouts.

We think that due to the websites clarity and bold design, Zavvi stands a good chance against its competition. We hope that Zavvi online sees more success than the stores did, but only time will tell.

What are your thoughts?