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25 of the Best Kenyan Web Designs

Good web design is hard to come by in Kenya. So other than just talk against it, I have scoured the net over the past month in search of commendable Kenyan web sites that can serve as inspiration for Kenyan designers. 25 of them are featured here. If I were to go by international standards and ensure none was table based or built on a premium theme, they would be too few. But overlooking a few things here and there, here is a list of commendable sites.

Shootout

A photography web site

ARK Kenya

Flash portfolio for interactive agency

Bonk Clothing

An upbeat clothing company

Paras Gudka

A Kenyan freelancer's portfolio

XYZ

You all know the XYZ show

Simba Colt Motors

A motor vehicle company

The Walblog

A Christian blog for the youth

*iHub_

Open space for technologists, investors, tech companies and hackers

James Quest

Professional photographer's portfolio

Tribe Hotel

Hotel web site

Safari Park

Hotel web site

KOAN

National co-ordinating body for organic agriculture

NHIF

State parastatal for healthcare needs

Orange Kenya

Telecommunications services provider

Juliani

Artiste's web site

Africa Nazarene University

The university's web site

Mavuno

The Mavuno Church web site

Shujaaz

Web site of the popular comic

Gatwich Festival

A music festival

Fairdeal

A furniture company

Kaptagat Farm Resort

A unique resort

Brand Kenya

The site that brands Kenya!

Bata Kenya

Shoe company

Tile & Carpet Centre

Building and interior products company

Famiflix

Online media rentals web site

Parting Shot

Are there any noteworthy Kenyan web sites that you have come across? Did you like the ones listed here? Please also check out the second and the third feature, if you haven’t already.

In Other News:

By Huston Malande

I am excited by the interplay between art and code. That's why I design web sites for international clients — and blog while at it.

↓ Add ComentDiscussion+65

Webmaster X says: November 24, 2010 at 7:12 pm

@Mauri, thanks.

@Muthoni, I’ll definitely be putting that up on the next feature.

@Paul, be nice. The beginning of the post fully explained my considerations.

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Mulei says: November 25, 2010 at 12:33 am

Great collection. I also kinda like the newly launched “Habanized” blog (http://habanized.com/)

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Eugene says: November 25, 2010 at 11:30 am

Thank you for bigging me up Mulei. Kenyan design has come a long way! Watu wameunleash some serious sites out there. It feels nice to get some mad inspiration kutoka nyumbani. (BTW Huston, no tables and the theme is homemade.)

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Webmaster X says: November 25, 2010 at 5:02 pm

Eugene…. WHOA!!! That’s the very very very first Kenyan web site that has taken my breath away! Big Up, I’ll be putting that up on the second feature coming soon. Keep it up!

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Eugene says: November 27, 2010 at 5:35 pm

Thanks Huston. Seriously, I’m stoked beyond words! I’ll be sharing all the design tricks I have on the site. Glad to know that I can inspire. Pamoja.

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Sera says: November 25, 2010 at 8:28 am

Thanks for this review. We surely have come a long way in webdesign in Kenya. I think you omitted one of the best designed websites http://www.capitalfm.co.ke! they are constantly changing their look and feel on their home page and each of their sections has a different design e.g news. i particularly like the business section.

I also think you should look at design vis a vie functionality, navigation, usefulness as some of the site above e.g. brand kenya are lacking in some of these aspects.

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Webmaster X says: November 25, 2010 at 5:08 pm

Hi Sera. I had checked it out before. I felt like it screams a little too much. Ads are all over, almost completely drawing the user (me at least) away from the content. Thanks for suggesting though.

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mmnjug says: November 26, 2010 at 4:27 pm

The SimbaColt Motors is the best of them all. Will you do the Bavaria Motors one also or the Imperial Bank one, they own it all anyway!

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Webmaster X says: November 26, 2010 at 4:49 pm

Mmnjug! Do these guys pay your salary or what?! To say it’s the best of them all is clearly a gross overstatement. Don’t get proud, bruh.

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Paras Gudka says: November 27, 2010 at 12:47 pm

Webmaster X:

I’m flattered that you consider my website as one of ’25 of the Best Kenyan Web Designs’. Thank you for the consideration and kind words.

I’m curious to know though, how you went about looking for these best designs. How did you come across mine and on what basis did you evaluate it before deciding that it makes the cut?

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Webmaster X says: November 27, 2010 at 5:10 pm

Gudka, don’t be flattered. I liked your design. Of course, the post and the list are very subjective, but in a nutshell, I visited every Kenyan web site I could think of or get wind of from just about every source (Facebook, television, billboards, newspapers, Behance, Google e.t.c) Then, I noted down those that I was impressed with. So long as the design was good and I could easily navigate through the site, I noted it down.
I know a lot of people have asked the same question, wondering what criteria I used to shortlist the web sites. The best way to clear the air is to clarify the intent of the post. This post was written to serve as inspiration for designers. Once inspired, they can hone and sharpen whatever skills they have in order to achieve the same if not better results.

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Mike says: December 14, 2010 at 5:30 pm

I totally disagree with your choice on the brand Kenya website. Sure the design looks good but a good site must also have good content which this site clearly does not. I think a sight like this, is meant to be a bit more interactive. Your article on the kenyan gov. website is so true. I had actually pointed it out to my pals at the beginning of the year. But the question is what are you guys doing to help these other not so good web designers improve? Share your knowledge which you (kNine) are doing pretty well.

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Webmaster X says: December 16, 2010 at 4:34 pm

I agree with you, Mike. But then again, you agree with me!!! The title is “…Best Kenyan Designs“, not web sites. Thanks for the compliment, there’s tutorials comin up soon. Keep it locked! Cheers.

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Mike says: December 17, 2010 at 2:13 pm

Will be waiting for the tutorials. Its good that you reply to peoples views but you need to increase the turn out of your articles. You wouldn’t want me to come back one month later and find the same worn out articles I found first time around. The reader doesn’t care that you might be running this blog on a part time basis. He/she is hungry for information and wants it now regardless! Continuity is key…………..

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Jackson Musau says: December 23, 2010 at 11:21 pm

check this one out!

http://www.DataMaxKenya.com

‘The Face of Internet in Kenya’ is designed to be a browsing gateway for Kenya so that you GET-WHAT-U-WANT … mara moja!

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Mike says: December 24, 2010 at 12:27 am

The site has traffic but scroll back up and read the title of this blogpost/article. If I were to compare you to mocality…………..well you’re nowhere near but you’ll get there one day i.e. in terms of design and ease of use/user friendliness. Keep on keeping on!!!!

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Chris Wanjagi says: January 3, 2011 at 2:50 pm

Seriously? Seriously? I mean… Seriously?

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Webmaster X says: January 3, 2011 at 6:48 pm

I feel you Chris. LOL!

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Mike says: January 5, 2011 at 10:24 am

The comment I had left on December 24th was targeted towards the datamaxkenya.com website. I was comparing his sight to mocality.com because they fall under the same “webdirectory” bracket. A bit of controversy never hurt nobody, see it even got guys thinking about having another list of worst websites. Let’s call it critical thinking………..

Webmaster X says: January 5, 2011 at 5:54 pm

Yea Chris! I tell you man, I am seriously considering that! Haha! Mike, the first tut is up. Spread the word :-)

Chris Wanjagi says: January 6, 2011 at 11:42 am

Mike… Jackson’s theory called “GET-WHAT-U-WANT Mara Moja” made me think he was on to something… then I saw the site he was referring to… and was disappointed to say the least. Jackson… that site is poorly designed in all aspects.

If Huston was to make that list of the worst websites, I think he would have a harder time choosing which one is worse than the other… Probably 25 lists of 25 worst websites might substantially cover the sites in Kenya :(

But we can be redeemed… with better designs and visionary creatives being born everyday, its only a matter of time before Jackson crosses over to the right side.

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Webmaster X says: January 6, 2011 at 12:12 pm

True. It’s impossible to list 25 worst designs coz… well… there’s just no design put in! And it doesn’t help anyone, probably just flare up tempers and make people get fired. That’s a burden I wont be bearing any time soon. Positive influence and inspiration has always proved to work better than devastating criticism.

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-Evans B says: January 12, 2011 at 1:17 pm

Hey,

The list is kinda cool but make sure you check out http://www.urbandesignkings.com before you do the second feature.

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Webmaster X says: January 12, 2011 at 6:38 pm

Hi Evans. I’ve checked it out… Mazee, I really love the illustration, and that basketballer’s dunking animation is just the best I’ve seen from Kenya, but… The site, in and of itself, falls short. Contrast is lacking in a lot of places, and some colors clash loudly, like red (on the menu) and blue (above the menu) which are placed adjacently yet are not analogous. Then again, the repetition of color bands could be taken to be simply “filling up bland space”, for lack of a better expression. Mad props for the illustration though.

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-Evans B says: January 13, 2011 at 3:01 pm

.I think you should consider that I made all the Flash elements(including the video player and illustration portfolio) from scratch plus my bro did all the designs and layouts himself. Considering how many guys resort to using templates or just copying concepts they’ve seen, I think the site is good. Plus: All the illustrations and videos were done by my bro!

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