Got Wood? Generally the use of wood on the web seems to be more for aesthetic purposes, or is there something more to it than that? Perhaps it is the desire to disconnect from the technical nature of a web site, and associate more with earthly comfortable things. What ever the reason, one thing is for sure, you will want to work over that fine photo of wood you will be using. A bit of photoshop magic will transform your image into something that fits your site beautifully. Every sample below appears to have had some adjustments made.

Perhaps the most important thing to consider when using wood in your layout is the connotations or atmosphere created by the type of wood you choose to use. For example the iso50.com site feels warm and comfortable like an old basement with wood paneling. This is actually really appropriate considering some of the work he produces with its vintage flowing stripes. The use of driftwood on the Driftlab site certainly contributes to the designer western feel the layout has. It has a rustic feel to it, yet it remains clear that the firm is top rate, one leaves with the feeling that they know how to create beautiful work and are probably great fun to work with. Designkonig and Staticmag on the other hand use wood in a wonderfully modern way, as though the site was a highly polished piece of furniture. This high class atmosphere contrasts the down to earth feel of the BSSP and Phono designs.

So my earlier statement that the use of wood seems to be mostly for aesthetics is perhaps completely wrong. Through careful usage and consideration this design element can greatly enhance the feel a site is meant to have and can in fact speak volumes about the entity the site is representing.

The wood background used for this page came from here. The following layers were placed over the original image.

1. A deep red/brown color was added over the top of it set to Soft Light.
2. A slight desaturation layer.
3. A curves layer masked to make the left edge far darker.
4. Then of course the DMD logo on top of that which was adjusted using layer styles to make it appear burnt in.
5. The whole thing was flattened and made to repeat using the offset filter.

Connotations of wood: Rustic, rough, worn, used, old, warm, comforting, steady, conservative, earthy, natural, nature, down-to-earth, wholesomeness, simplicity, friendliness, dependability, health, and honesty.

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