Designing product layouts - best practices?

[gabrielcrowe]

I'm working on a set of templates for displaying products. These will be integrated into an 'uber' template, for re-use.

Most other parts of a store are not so complicated, 3 cols and such. I have come unstuck on the best practices for a single product per page layout.

I have designed some sucessful stores before, and they layouts worked, but i'm interested in everyones opinion on what a 'perfect' layout is, with some examples. I ahve poked around on amazon and such, together with all the major players, and theyr layouts all differ, with respect to positioning of the images, galleries, the location of of related offers, and the position of the product functions, such as selecting sizes and and pressing the golden button.

So, has anyone any good examples, of good layouts they know work, and layouts they ahve created themselves that they feel are top of the pile?

Thanks for your help everyone in advance.

[leehack]

I think the size of the images you have to play with and the number of them that you wish to show is the key deciding factor on product layouts. That is always the very first thing i find out, as i personally think that guides the rest of the process.

[gabrielcrowe]

well, in this case, I'm in control of that. All the images are processed in the server with php.

they can be any size, shape or colour i want them to be.

[Rich Brady]

I think multiple images is a must. From my experience as a seller, people don't read descriptions properly, even when you've tried to highlight important information in bold or a different colour. Make it easy for them by providing multiple views I say.

[gabrielcrowe]

Some interesting numbers...

Amazon:
-thumb; 160 x 160
-small thumb; 100 x 100
-main; 280 x 280

Play:
- thumb/main; @ 178 x 178
- small thumb; @ 88 x 88
(@ = approx, dynamic)

Dabs:
- small thumb; 85 x 85
- main pic; 150 x 150

Newegg.com
- thumb; 125 x 125
- main; 180 x 180

[gabrielcrowe]

I think multiple images is a must. From my experience as a seller, people don't read descriptions properly, even when you've tried to highlight important information in bold or a different colour. Make it easy for them by providing multiple views I say.

so, an essential for a good layout, is a gallery.

*ticks the boxes*

i think you're right. this is important. and it has to be easy to naviagate, etc, no klugy messy zoomy clickys.

[Darren B]

design certainly aint my thing but i am slowly redoing all my work from years ago and resize and make new images, but i use 100 x 100 and 150 x 150 if i had known then what i know now i would have started like this.

so much better for all sorts of reason, one being best sellers and new products. Make keeping them balance so much easier

[Darren B]

I think multiple images is a must. From my experience as a seller, people don't read descriptions properly, even when you've tried to highlight important information in bold or a different colour. Make it easy for them by providing multiple views I say.

Now this comes back to my wish to have more than one image in a fragment.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=38320

[leehack]

I like 300 x 300 for product images on SPP setup. You are only downloading one image per page, so make it big, vibrant and clear to see. You can often avoid even needing a 'larger image' option like this. The days of 200 or 150 wide images are long gone from my work, they're simply not big enough IMO.

Section images i like at 130 x 130.

[leehack]

Now this comes back to my wish to have more than one image in a fragment.

http://community.actinic.com/showthread.php?t=38320

Taddy this would take about 5 mins to setup via a new variable, i can do this for you in exchange for a mince pie if you wish.

[NormanRouxel]

Now this comes back to my wish to have more than one image in a fragment.

I could extend my Multi Product Images and Lightbox add-ons to operate within Fragment layouts if there's a demand for this.