10 Great Single Long-Page Website Designs

While working on some concepts for a new website I realized that a single, long-page design might be a good solution. That got me looking for some inspiration from others who had done something similar.

Now, as a whole I think the single-page long-scrolling webpages are a fancy way for designers and developers to get to show off and be cool. Throw in some hip parallax, give each section a different funky design, and in general get your site as noticed as possible with a lotta gimmicks and show. That’s not always the best way to keep the first things first, and it’s not always the optimum experience for the user (see my last example at the bottom).

However, in sifting through the piles of one-page inspirations – especially ones that use a long page method (instead of tabs), I did find some great examples of designs that were original, creative, and still user-friendly. Here they are with a few thoughts about each.

Beatrate

Classy, with a little bit of extra eastern-European glitz thrown in. The site is simple and doesn’t try to do too much. Beautiful photography introduces you to the band, you get a taste of their music, and then you can hire them. It works.

Black Estate Vineyards

This website has won all sorts of awards, and for good reason. The typography is stunning, the layout is well-executed, and the color is…black. The long-page works well here to keep you from getting distracted.

Bounty Beverages

This brewery takes a more fun approach to their one-page design. Though there is enough blue here to go for a swim in, the illustrated road leads on a journery through the whos, whats and whys of Bounty Beverage. The animation is a fun ride, but each stop seems worth the trip.

Chleon

I think Chleon has built an absolutely brilliant page here. The long-page is subject to becoming overwhelming very quickly. They’ve kept that problem at bay with minimal colors, simple iconography and text, and a consistent grid layout.

Djuradj

This web designer has a simple page that gives all the pertinent information you need about him, while showing off his design chops a little bit. Does seem a little empty…

Free Range Designs

This design studio gets it right. Visual separation for each section, easy navigation, and great design. There is quite a bit of detail for a one page site.

Joshua Turner

Another design site. Josh is clear and direct and again the colors are kept to a minimum.

Squarespace

In all my research, this Squarespace page really stood out. While they didn’t include their entire website here, the homepage really assimilates what could be many many pages. Each section stands on it’s own aesthetically, but feels part of the cohesive whole. The negative space really lets the content shine.

Two Fish Illustration and Design

I know what I said about parallax, but I love it’s use here. Catch my attention, show me your work, throw a contact form at me. Quick and easy. (Also eerily similar is this site. I’m not sure which came first.)

Whitmans

Because there’s not really a whole lot that really goes on on a restaurant website, I can understand why there was creative liberty taken here. The single-page long scroll makes the site a little more interesting and sets a good tone for what I would expect from the restaurant.

And one more, as a cautionary tale…

VonDutch

This is the internet, where most people don’t read, they skim. Remember what I said about keeping the first thing first? I’ve skimmed this site twice now and I still have no idea what the site is for or what it is promoting. To be sure the site is beautiful, and someone had a fun time putting together lots of vintage photos. But I have no idea what Von Dutch is or what they wanted me to do on their site.

Think a single-page website would be great for your new project? Contact me and let’s talk about it! Each website I build is designed uniquely for you, so your site will certainly stand out!