Good Design in Politics, Part 1

Design

I’ve been following the elections with great care this year.  It’s probably one of the most contested, heated, angry, fun-to-watch-SNL again elections that history has seen.  At any rate, it’s good to see that both parties have embraced the Internet for campaigning, and have stepped into the 21st century as far as their websites go.

First, Obama:

I have to say that whoever designed this page has a flair for design and detail.  The site and splash page (even though I *hate* splash pages) are well done, and the blue shades on the site are all matched well.  It’s a very easy to read site, and makes for an easy transition from viewer to “doer” (via the action center being so visible).

And McCain:

McCain’s site is also well designed – lots of gradients and bright graphics – but requires MUCH less scrolling.  While not so much now a big deal as it used to be, people prefer to scroll as little as possible, and it condenses the data down to a manageable size (while not overloading you).

So, while the election is still in full swing, the sites are getting bombarded with traffic hit after hit. What do you think? Does one candidate have a better site, or do they both do their job well (the sites, not the candidates)?  Are there any other local candidates that have fantastic sites?  Leave your answers in the comments below!