Round One: “Hero” Section

What the hell is a “Hero” section? In short, it’s a code word for the “top bit” of a website. Nowadays, that usually means some big imagery and big call-to-action. It’s there to say, “Hey user, this is what the site is about. Enjoy!”

Ben Carson

Pro: Carson’s homepage starts off pretty strong. His hero module has some clear branding with a good photo of the candidate, and there’s a very clickable button on the left half. It’s clearly the most important call-to-action and displayed prominently. Bonus points!

Con: Although the CTA is obvious, the clarifying text below it is not. I thought it was a link before hovering over it to discover it was just text. I assume it’s meant to clarify what clicking the button will do, but it really doesn’t… What happens when I find my polling place? School me Carson!

Pros

Pro: The logo is alright. Patriotic colors, check. Candidate’s name, check. Easy to read, check. The only exception is that bottom line, “Heal, Inspire, Revive.” I get that it’s a play on his medical background but it starts to feel cluttered at three lines.

Cons

Con: The menu is cluttered. Why are there “Store” and “Support Ben” buttons? It’s hard to see why either are highlighted outside the normal menu links. I’d much rather see them inline with their cohorts and minimized visually so I can focus on what’s important here, that big old blue button on the left.

Con: There’s search link in Carson’s menu. I’d expect a search bar to appear in the header if I clicked it, but no, I’m taken to a search page, which has the search form. That’s an usual design choice and one that really discourages searching.