Saturday 17 January 2015

Moore Longhorn Ranch

Moore Longhorn Ranch is a working ranch which doubles as a holiday destination in Texas.

As the home page loads up, the banner stands out at the top of the page.


As seen here, the banner advertises the ranch in a font typically associated with the Old West - it is the font one would usually expect to see above an Old West saloon. The text is accompanied by a background consisting of a wooden pattern as well as three images - two of people with horses, and another of cattle silhouetted against the sky. All these elements of the banner work to immediately present the website's visitor with the aesthetic of the Old West.

The design of the website itself brings a visual of the Old West, with the content made to look like a notice pinned on a wooden board, and the sunset on the horizon as the background image.

The text on the page presents a concise description of the ranch and the role of the visitor. Various phrases are bolded, such as "working ranch in the wide open prairie", "home-cooked meals" and "three day cattle drives". These phrases, along with headings using phrases such as "authentic Texas" and "real ranch experience" grab the attention of the visitor, ensuring that if the visitor is not going to read all the text, they see the important information - the emphasis on authenticity, informing the visitor that were they to stay at the ranch, they would get the idyllic Western experience.

The information pages are much the same, presenting the information in concise paragraphs, with key phrases highlighted. Each page is also illustrated with images, again advertising to the visitors of the experience they will have at the ranch, with images of animals and white people enjoying themselves as they conduct ranch activities.

Although there is no specific mention of the Old West, the website is clearly designed to cater to those with a lust for the Old West, with features such as font, page design, images and emphasis on phrases associated with the Old West clearly demonstrating that this website is designed to capitalize on the public romanticisation of the idyllic image of the Old West.

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