Helen Johnson

It’s no secret that online gambling is big on the internet, whether you agree with it or not. What surprises me though, as both a designer and an internet user, is that online casinos and their websites are not designed better, both for aesthetics and usability.

You would think that with the amount of money that an online casino would generate that they could spend more time and money on the designs of their sites and software. In my opinion, a nice design not only engages the visitor more, but also gives a feeling of security and trustworthiness - that this casino has put in the effort to make an attractive product. And trust is a big factor for anyone depositing their money into a casino.

Some online casinos, which are known to be great and very trustworthy, have pretty dodgy looking sites. And nothing puts me off more than seeing a website that is broken, has errors, has not been “polished” or just looks bad.

For example, I think that the Cherry Red Casino website has been designed really well. It is an attractive site, but also it gives the user a great casino feel. It uses rich warm reds and golds and features a really well done flash animation. This all helps to give the illusion of what a lot of people think casinos are like - rich, exciting and glamourous. Who wouldn’t want to play at a casino that made you feel like that.

Having previously worked on Poker.com when it was a poker room I know that you need to make sure that the user feels safe and secure at all times. Users pick up on the smallest details, if there is one spelling mistake or an image that doesn’t load properly then they would find it. The slightest error would make many people nervous, and I can’t blame them when they have deposited their money, I probably would too.

But it’s not just about making a website that works properly, it’s also about making it meaningful, usable and simple nice to look at. I have just launched a new gambling portal where you can find information about any online casino game. With the design I have tried to make it as engaging as possible, lots of images so visitors can visually find the game they are looking for as well as using the menu or reading. It’s only new at the moment, it will be growing with a lot more content and information in the near future so check back soon.