The first thing I noticed about this website is the use of icons as navigation, instead of words. I think this suits Martin Parr, and it's different from any other website I have seen before - which I suppose is a good thing. It makes it memorable.
The only text used on the home page is the artist's name in the top left hand corner, which is strange of a photography website I think. Initially I thought I would have to guess what the icons stood for, but further investigation showed me that when you hover over them it tells you. I like this feature - it makes it a bit more interactive and fun.
There is a lot of information about Martin Parr on his website - I would say a little bit too much. When you click on the icon of his face you get to read an introduction about him, written by someone else. Five paragraphs of really arty farty words if you ask me - I don't think the website really needs it. Parr also has his CV on his website (the forth icon from the left) which when clicked gives us yet more information about him. However, I prefer reading this kind of information - as it's factual and gives us an insight as to why he started photography/where he's worked etc.
Finally the question mark icon represents an FAQ. In general I like FAQ sections of websites and Martin Parr's is no exception. It's quick access to questions you're trying to find out or questions you're interested in. Even though, once again, it's more information and words, I think it's a good feature. The white background and colour scheme is also kept throughout the website which I like.
Lastly the section about his work. The second icon from the left is a list of all the books and newspaper articles he has written, and books he has edited. Once again there is a lot of work under this category but the layout is good and consistent. It's easy to scroll around and have a general browse. Once you click on a particular book images let you have a look through it - at some of his past images. The camera icon in the navigation bar represents his recent work. I think it's a good move that Parr has chosen only a few series' to display, so you're not overwhelmed with photographs. A disadvantage of this section is that I think the photographs are too big. They overwhelm my browser window - which I'm not too keen on. Even though the photographs are on a continuous slideslow, you cannot advance with the arrow keys. You have to press the arrows to the left and the right of the image. I think being able to use the arrow keys would be a plus, just for convenience.
In contrast to Stephen Gill's website, I actually preferred viewing Martin Parr's on my phone. The slideshow of pictures still works, but the images are much smaller and easier to view. I also think the icons look better on a phone - although if I hadn't of known beforehand what they stood for, it would've been slightly annoying - as it doesn't tell you what you've clicked on until you've clicked it. All the links in the navigation work, and it's obvious that this website has been optimised for devices other than laptops.
Overall, I think despite some small issues (which are probably just down to my personal taste) Martin Parr's website is effective, and being able to view it so easily on my phone is definitely a huge plus.
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