15 horizontal sites and the case for making them

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The excitement of scrolling has really evolved since we could use colored scrollbars in Internet Explorer years ago.<\/p>\r\n

Today, we are finding new ways to reinvent the process of scrolling with gestures, parallax scrolling features and more. We’re creating excitement and telling stories. We’re creating great user experiences and making content functional. Problem is, most of these sites use vertical scrolling.<\/p>\r\n

And how can you blame them? It’s normal. It’s what’s expected. And it’s often the easiest thing to implement.<\/p>\r\n

But where’s the love for horizontal scrolling sites? Not many people create them, mainly because of the difficulties in development and the idea that horizontal websites are less functional. The argument against horizontal scrolling is along the lines of: \“Why reinvent the wheel?\” But, should we be giving horizontal scrolling a chance?<\/p>\r\n

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When and why?<\/h1>\r\n

Horizontal scrolling should be given a chance for two main reasons: (1) The infatuation we currently have with responsive design and (2) Horizontal sites have a place and purpose, much like scrolling sites do.<\/p>\r\n

To quickly go over the reason why it works responsively, let’s think about how we use our phones and tables when pull up a site on them. Most times, we end up flipping the phone so that it shows our content in landscape orientation. Meaning we flip our phones to see the most in width that we can. Why not utilize this by creating sites that can be viewed and navigated this way? Think about how we look at videos online and how we develop and design sites along the width anyway. Why are we shunning horizontal scrolling?<\/p>\r\n

Now, for my second point, I can show you much better than I can tell you. So, let’s jump right in and see how these next few sites do a great job of using horizontal scrolling to be functional and interesting.<\/p>\r\n

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Reverse Buro\u00a0<\/h1>\r\n

This portfolio site uses a combo of both vertical and horizontal scrolling to show off their work. It’s becoming more and more popular to feature pieces of work on their own screens with no distractions because it just makes sense. This navigational method is not only intuitive but creates a wonderful feel of innovation for this designer.<\/p>\r\n

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Gavin Castleton<\/h1>\r\n

Nowadays, it’s imperative that musical artists find a way to make themselves standout. In such an inundated industry, artists have to create the complete package that’s going to get them attention, from the music to the web design. Gavin has created a wonderful website that’s interesting and perfect for housing all his information.<\/p>\r\n