The styles in the web design: the features of the organic style

Let’s continue with the column dedicated to the web design styles: two weeks ago we created a template in magazine style really attractive, today instead we’re going to analyse the characteristics of the organic style (also called “natural”).

Like always  we begin with understanding what the term “organic” means, this word groups “everything that concerns with the animal and vegetable living being that form live organisms”.

So soil, grass, wood, fauna, flora, practically everything that is alive and is somehow connected to a live organism.

Putting  in design, this style is equivalent to a choice of colours and graphic elements that under certain aspects is similar to the grunge and vintage styles: texture paper or wood, real elements imported into  the layout, as more “organic” and biological as possible.

Which are the characteristics of the organic style?

Let’s see which are the peculiarities of the organic style in the web design:

• The use of texture, pattern and natural backgrounds (wood, paper, fabrics, rocks, minerals) and of elements that come directly from nature (grass, leaves, sand, etc.);

• Conceptual images that concern nature: landscapes, clouds, skies, flowers and above all fruit and fields ( it’s not a case that the biological symbol par excellence is an ear of grain);

• Natural colours like brown, olive green, beige, grey: in this style you  have to avoid  electric colours  and pastel tonalities not so realistic;

• Dullness, shades, grunge effects, in this style the “dirty” effect is lord of it and has nothing to do with the colours and the graphic effects of the modern styles (as for example the web 2.0), the style has to be realistic and seem “alive” or “lived”.

When is it indicated the use of this style in the web design?

This style is particularly indicated for all those activities that deal with  biological products ( a business that produces honey or a farm) or with nature ( a farm holiday centre, for example) and not to talk about all the associations that concern the environment and ecology.

Also many travel agency sites or institutes for the oriental disciplines chose natural- organic elements  to underline their adhesion to the wellness and to the peace of nature. On the contrary this style has shown to be little flexible for corporate layout or for websites that ask for simplicity and sobriety.

Inspiration: sites in organic style

Useful resources

200 texture of high quality paper

30 background and paper effect texture

150 texture of paper free for your graphic projects

Postcards and paper pattern

Wood texture in elevate resolution

Wallpaper in wood style in three different tonalities

Suggested reading

Inspiration: showcase of the 24 sites that use wood texture

Web design in organic style

Paper texture in modern web design

In the next article, we’ll create, step by step, our layout in organic style: don’t miss it!

Other articles in our guide:

• Styles in webdesign: the features of corporate/business layout | How to create a corporate style website?
• Styles in webdesign: the features of a grunge  layout | How to create a grunge style layout?
• Styles in webdesign: the features of a web 2.0 layout | How to create a web 2.0 style layout?
• Styles in webdesign: the features of a vintage layout | How to create a vintage style layout?
• Styles in webdesign: the features of a magazine layout | How to create a magazine style layout?
• Styles in webdesign: the features of a organic layout | How to create an organic style layout?
• Styles in webdesign: the features of a typographic layout |

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