Christy Rae SCC WEB120 Big Project

Galleries Research

Pics or it didn’t happen!! How many times have you heard this or said this? A picture IS worth a thousand words and when it comes to developing a website that will showcase photography, whether for a professional, for products, or just simply for fun, it is very important to look for the right gallery for your needs. Things to consider are effects, style, and customization to the gallery.

Slideshow galleries are one of the most popular tools used on websites, you likely do not realize how many websites or how many times or ways you encounter them. A slideshow gallery is a space that displays multiple images that alternate from image to image as if sliding by, they can be automatic or require a person to engage and slide the images left or right to load the next picture in the series.

Wix states this best when they write, “One reason for the ongoing popularity of sliders is the lively feel they generate through the motion of the slides on the screen. This sense of action keeps site visitors engaged and alert. In addition, sliders allow web designers to display more than one image on what is usually important design “real estate” – instead of reserving the best spot on the page for just one image, why not share it between several great visuals? In short, slideshow galleries show versatility in a dynamic and inviting way.” (Wix) However, keep in mind that too many images in a gallery can also be distracting as well as cause heavy load times for your website. Once again Wix shares a good point by saying, “Not everyone agrees with this evaluation, though. The anti-sliders camp argues that slideshow galleries may confuse the site’s hierarchical layout and lead viewers out of focus. Too often designers also make the mistake of uploading too many files to the slider gallery, slowing down the loading time and overall harming the user experience.” (Wix)

Something to consider in your decision is whether you want to include text with the images. Jquery slider, Jssor Slider, has the ability to add text to the images as well as a text box that floats on top of the banner image for more text. This type of photo gallery is an excellent tool to use if you are showcasing products or have a story to tell along with the photos you are displaying.

Another gallery style to consider is a Grid Style gallery. A grid gallery is just that - a grid that is filled with your various images. The benefits to a grid gallery is that they do allow for more images to be placed on the page in the gallery section, but this can also be a detriment to your design if you chose too many images or make this space too busy.

Grid galleries can be limited in the amount of text that can typically be placed with each image, whereas slider galleries have various types and it is easier to find one suitable to a larger amount of text. Further, any text that is shown with these galleries is often only able to be viewed after you mouseover the image itself, an option that may be hidden from the viewer if they are using a mobile device.

There are two final points to consider when choosing a gallery for your website, the first is whether or not the gallery is customizable for the page style. It is important to find a gallery that has a CSS stylesheet included or has multiple template choices for stylization. And last but certainly never least you want to make certain that the gallery is responsive for all devices - this is key for today’s viewers as they rotate from desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile phone; any and all galleries should be responsive to the device to keep your audience engaged. Liam Griffin cautions us when he states, “Images are important to the user experience on websites, and the shift to smaller devices means that developers face new challenges to ensure images load quickly, regardless of screen size.Images can make up the biggest part of a store’s page weight, and smartphone or tablet users can become easily frustrated with slow loading speeds.” (Griffin)

Regardless of which direction you go with an image gallery, images are fun and exciting to ad to any web development project.