Geri Halliwell's Site Design

January 28, 2000 1:16 AM

Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell's site takes an interesting design approach to displaying content. Twelve small windows popup and different content is shown in the center as outside window links are clicked. Programmatically, it's interesting to other web designers and that's about it. The biggest problem with the site? The carpal tunnel you'll get when you have to close 13 windows when it's time to leave.
posted by mathowie (12 comments total)

Remember when you were a kid and you collected Star Wars cards (or any other kind where you had to collect a bunch) and they all came with a little piece of a larger picture on the back of each card so you had to collect and collect until you could make the whole picture?

Well, I do.

This site reminded me of that. Each click revealed a new picture, but by bit. And, as annoying as all those windows are, I thought it was a fun way to do an entertainment site.

I bet you could do the same thing even better using frames instead....

-- dmp

ps - I still have my Star Wars cards. And I never did make the whole picture.
posted by fraying at 1:34 AM on January 28, 2000

This site is clever in that is unites everything I dislike about the entertainment industry with everything I dislike about the never-ending pop-up browserscape of the WAREZ, APPS, MP3Z and CRACKZ world. Luckily, my IE5 crashed and burned before I had to close all the windows maunually.
posted by sixfoot6 at 2:37 AM on January 28, 2000

This was actually really interesting. Personally, I'd do it with DHTML.
posted by ajh at 5:15 AM on January 28, 2000

I just can't believe they didn't offer an automatic "close-all" link....
posted by mathowie at 6:55 AM on January 28, 2000

I do think it's a fun idea, not fully realized. I think you could only do it with a site like this where your users probably aren't looking for quick access to information.
- I had one picture flip to an unmatching piece, and I couldn't get it back. I also had a window where the text wasn't all visible and there were no scroll bars. Oh, and of course it crashed before I could get the windows closed. I'd say "B" for concept, C+ for execution.
posted by CrazyUncleJoe at 9:30 AM on January 28, 2000

ugh...friggin thing crashed my browser. Not a good way to get return visits. I agree with ajh...I would have tried to use layers to achieve the same effect...instead of multiple windows. I also agree with Matt... a "close all windows" button would have been nice.

Using the CuJo grading curve I give it a "D-"
posted by dangerman at 10:35 AM on January 28, 2000

I'll give it an F - I mean - it's Geri Halliwell !! :-)
posted by tomcosgrave at 1:54 PM on January 28, 2000

Very clever idea, and I'm glad I saw it once. Artistically, I like it a lot. Kind of fun, as long as you don't want to go to anywhere else on the web.

Extra frustration factor for those of us who keep our Windows TaskBar on the top, though. Those top 4 tiny windows placed themselves BEHIND the taskbar, hiding their Close buttons. (Not an uncommon problem, but this was four times the fun.)
posted by kcchip at 6:20 PM on January 28, 2000

reiterating derek's point, it would have been much better done in frames. Between not being able to close all the windows, the lack of navigation for oversized content, and the obvious "what did that link just do" factor make it difficult to actually peruse.

Oh, and tom, I happen to think she's sassy.
posted by othermatt at 12:15 PM on January 29, 2000

Assuming you are from the US Whipplematt, maybe you don't get as much of her there as we do here in UK and Ireland - she is in the tabloids a few times a month - I am sick to death of her - her agent is also the agent of a UK radio presenter called Chris Evans, and the two of them had a fake relationship for the purpose of boosting their profiles - his for his new radio show or something, her for her new solo album - it was nauseating stuff - the stupid gutter press went nuts, as did popular radio.....*ick*.
posted by tomcosgrave at 5:47 PM on January 29, 2000

nope, I'd have to say that (to me) they all dropped off the face of the earth, post-breakup. Don't get me wrong, I have no affinity to their music or anything, I just wouldn't mind eating dessert off her body.

Or something.
posted by othermatt at 8:12 PM on January 30, 2000

Over here they get on TV etc all the time - recently Geri and Victoria (Posh Spice) have both been on TV - Geri with a documentary on her new album and Victoria on a show where she asked other celebs questions....all most annoying - and then she lets slip that her megastar england soccer playing husband likes wearing her knickers.....
posted by tomcosgrave at 2:21 PM on January 31, 2000