A Sample of our Best Campaign Websites

Wondering what we think of our own work? In this post, we’ll show you some of our best political web designs.

Normally, these types of posts about the ‘best campaign sites of the year’ are where design firms show off which websites they think were best in the last election cycle. In these posts, you’ll see the same designs over and over again for various presidential, congressional and state legislative candidates.

Except those sites weren’t even created by those who are ranking them. What gives?

This is something a little different. These sites are all custom designs by Online Candidate (actually, Carol). These political website design examples are either a Custom Design Package or a custom design upgrade to our template-based packages.

So, here we go:

Alderman Website

Client had submitted his logo and several photos of himself. In his design questionnaire he mentioned wanting to have an outdoor feel – but he was also retired military, so a patriotic feel was also important.

I really liked the photo of him on the beach. It was a really nice shot and encompassed the outdoors feel he was looking for. I took the photo and removed the background. I added a stock photo of the US flag and constitution and a took a silhouette stock photo of a military solider saluting. I made both of those partially transparent, so they give a subtle patriotic feel without overpowering the image.

I really love how this banner came out. The client provided a great photo, and with his basic direction I was able to create something that fit the visual impression he wanted to convey.

The client was very happy and requested the artwork for use in his campaign.

Board of Education Website

This header design is a favorite in our design gallery and is one of the most requested designs by clients. Though the design trend today is to have a small logo with a ‘hero’ shot below, a lot of candidates still prefer a more graphical image header. One advantage to a header incorporating a head shot image is that it carries through all the pages.

The client wanted to have an outdoor feel. She specifically took an outdoor photo for the site, but all the photos she sent were vertical shots. Unfortunately, vertical images do not work on full-width horizontal headers.

To make this image work, I removed (cropped) the background from the right side. Then I found a stock photo of trees to use as the background. I blurred the background and then merged the background and head shot together. Between the sharp head shot and blurred background, I really like this look.

City Council Site

This is another full-width favorite. I was pleased with how it came out, especially since the candidate did not have any idea of what he wanted other than the basic colors. I created the logo and found stock art of a well-known location in the election district. This particular photo worked perfectly with his color scheme.

As I do for all my clients, I saved the logo in various formats for use in his campaign brochures and signage.

Judicial Candidate Website

This site was one of the first to feature a full-width photo and the image worked perfectly into the layout. His photo is interesting and really engages with the visitor. Normally, judicial candidate sites tend to have a color scheme of black and yellow or black and white. However, less stark colors better match the informal nature of the picture.

State Representative Website

This is another case where I was able to find a really nice stock photo of the state house to use in the design. Sometimes the free stock image sites will have perfect photo. Other times, clients will submit a photo of their area. For a wide top or slider image it’s best to have the photo be horizontal and a more panoramic shot. Or at least have dead space in the top and bottom that will be cropped.

Solicitor General

This candidate website is another favorite of mine. The client submitted several great photos and wanted a blue with red accent color scheme. I created the logo and sent it to him in various formats for use elsewhere. I really love the photo of the client on the bench. The composition is great. It creates a nice interesting, yet personal feel.

Not all Online Candidate websites are custom-designed. Many clients use our template features to create their own look. They can choose (and customize) a color scheme, fonts, header layout and more. Those candidates using social media can display automatic updates from their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Some clients with a bit of web design knowledge push things even further. We’ve had clients who never built a website before use our system and really put together sharp-looking sites.

What element makes a design look best?

You know what really makes a site design look great? The photography. A campaign’s visuals need to be compelling and help tell a story to voters. Having a good stock of images when we begin a project makes it easier to create a design that really stands out. Good lighting is also important. A mobile device can take a great shot, but only if there is good lighting. Bad lighting will ruin the best composed photo.

In the early days, we would sometimes have to scan in a client’s photographs. This was back in the 2000s, the days of flip-phones, before everyone carried a good camera and video recorder right in their pocket.

Color makes a big difference in a candidate’s brand. Sometimes we will alter the colors a bit for the web if a candidate already has print brochures or signage. A traditional ‘red, white and blue’ color scheme might not translate well to a website. Sometimes we will tone things down a bit and include complementary colors to make the site look best.
These days, many candidates start with a website first and we come up with the campaign’s final color scheme and logo design. Once that’s set up for the website and social media accounts, we will provide original art files back to the candidate upon request for use in their print materials and signs. That way everything has a consistent look, making things more identifiable to voters.
Website copy is another important aspect of design. People tend to skim when reading online, so headlines, bulleted lists and bold text help provide important information quickly. Having a call to action on every page is important. When we set up a site for a client, we make sure that it’s not only optimized for search engines, but also optimized to get visitors to take action.

Related: Download our Online Candidate Quickstart Guide

Ready to start your own campaign site?

Our job is to help local candidates create a winning online campaign through our political web design and digital marketing services. We have a variety of package prices and even a monthly option for $29/month. You can set up and design your own site or we can do it for you. Either way, you control your site and can update it whenever you choose.

We also offer a variety of add-on options, including social media account setup and candidate intro videos to help launch your online campaign quickly and easily.

Find out which services are best for you. Have a question? Contact us for more information.