CHERYL COLE WEBSITE ANALYSIS

By Nisha Velji

In this presentation I will be analysing Cheryl Coles music website. This website contains a range of different interactive elements which would encourage the audience to listen to her music, it also keeps them engaged and entertained. In addition to this there are also promotional features, social networking sites, images, and a online store within the website, this allows the users to follow Cheryl Cole on other social networking websites such as twitter; also

This screenshot above is Cheryl Coles websites homepage. As you can see the image of Cheryl Cole is placed right in the middle of the page. The website also uses a rule of third as the page is split up in parts. The image of Cheryl Cole is shown in a high key lighting, which makes her stand out and look like the main object and the ‘Star’. Furthermore the image is also a close up of Cheryl Cole this may make the audience feel as if they know her and are well fond of her. Cheryl Cole also follows the stereotypical feminine image, she is wearing makeup, nail varnish and also has a tattoo done, this would make the audience aspire to her and almost be just like her. Also She is giving a direct mode address to the audience which makes them feel more satisfied and may which to navigate through the website more

The typography used within the homepage is a serif font, this is a girly type of font which may reflect to Cheryl Coles personality as she is a girly friendly individual, also her songs are romantic which may also represent how she is personally.

Colour scheme The colour scheme of the website is ‘Purple,

Blue and pink’ all these colours are feminine colours as you women would use these colours the most. Also the colours are glamorous and consistent throughout the website. In addition tot this the colours also combine with each other and the writing is shown in white which allows users to gather clear information about her and her music if they wish to. Furthermore the glowing colours on the text attract the users as they would almost look straight at the texts.

Social Networking Site Links The website also has other hyperlinks on the website which are social networking sites, this allows the audience to share the website with their own friends through facebook,myspace, twitter, YouTube and other social networking sites. This allows them to feel gratified with the website due to the fact they have access to share there thoughts about the artists with their friends. This way they are also allowed to socialise and discuss things amongst others. Furthermore the social networking sites allows the audience to feel as a good ‘Fan’ of Cheryl Cole

Navigation BarThe navigation bar, as shown below contains the following links. Articles/ prizes/ Music/Whosay /Videos/live/gallery/newsletter/ official store and merchandise. All these links contain different information and keeps the audience more engaged in what they are navigating through. Also it allows the audience to have various different choices throughout. The navigation bar also attracts the audience due to the fact when they hover over it changes to the colour red and zooms in, depending on what the audience have clicked on. The colour red could symbolise the love/girly image of Cheryl Cole and how her personality/style and choice is.

Videos

Cheryl Cole also has a link to her videos. This consists of different activity's she has performed such as magazine shoots, interviews it also gives the audience tips on their hair and beauty. The audience have full control of the videos meaning they can, watch, it and play it when they wish to, By using videos on her page makes the audience feel more involved with the website and also gives them entertainment.

Male Gaze and Cheryl Coles images/Website As you can see from Cheryl Coles

gallery which is placed on her website she is seen as being glamorous and sexy. Straight away you can see that the male gaze theory can relate back to her images, the camera man may have been a male which is taking the images of Cheryl Cole due to the fact the focus of the camera is mainly at Cheryl Coles body in all the images.

A male audience would feel gratified after viewing her images as they would be attracted by her and be more encouraged to look at more of her images due to Cheryl Cole looking ‘Sexy’

Cheryl Coles Website and Audience theories Looking throughout Cheryl Coles website, you can immediately see she is been portrayed as a stereotypical feminine image. She is dressed ‘glamorous, good-looking’. The male audience would receive gratification after navigating through Cheryl's website due to the fact they are seeing her in a girly sexy figure, this makes them more engaged and entertained with the website.

Richard Dyers theory may also relate to Cheryl Coles website, and the utopian theory meaning the audience is experiencing a world of their own due to the different engaging elements on the website they are also receiving gratification and satisfaction with what they are seeing.

In addition to this Maslow's hierarchy of needs pyramid can also relate back to the fact the audience receiving the basic needs from this website. The main needs they would want from the website would be to gather entertainment, information, awareness and belonging. Cheryl Cole's website follows all these elements as it gives the audience entertainment and engagement due to the interactive elements which are placed on the website such as multimedia, images,vidoes and texts that the audience can read and gather information from.

http://www.cherylcole.com/