SpyreStudios

Web Design and Development Magazine

  • Design
  • Showcase
  • Inspirational
  • Tutorials
  • CSS
  • Resources
  • Tools
  • UX
  • More
    • Mobile
    • Usability
    • HTML5
    • Business
    • Freebies
    • Giveaway
    • About SpyreStudios
    • Advertise On SpyreStudios
    • Get In Touch With Us

How To use Large Hero Images in Web Design

October 14, 2014 by Jake Rocheleau

With the increasing size of bandwidth caps there is an ability for designers to utilize much larger assets for website layouts. The SVG image format is one such example that has also pushed for browser support. But another common feature is the use of large background images for website headers & landing pages.

photoshop website mockup using hero image

Often referred to as a hero image, these have become much more prominent over the past decade. I want to provide a quick overview covering the purpose of hero images and why they are beneficial to web designers. It is a relatively simple concept but every UI designer should understand how to apply & use these images properly.

What and Why?

Allow me to explain the purpose of these images by expounding the “what” first. A hero image is a large banner-style image often placed above-the-fold in a website layout. These are typically photographs but could be anything from vector artwork to illustrations or digital paintings.

So why use such a large image and why take up all that space on the screen? There are various reasons but they often associate with some call to action. Every user who lands on the page starts at the very top. This means everyone has to see that hero image – and if there’s a link or button within that section it may quickly draw attention.

Likewise you might use a hero image to sell a product or service. Design studios often use large photographs of their team working hard on projects. eCommerce websites might use a hero image to model new clothes or items for sale. This gives a more intimate touch to the website and cuts right to the point(ie. look at what we do!).

29 Layouts using Oversized Backgrounds

So long story short, these oversized images at the top of websites are mostly used for attention combined with aesthetic effect. They’re very much like the popular girl in school – some people may not like her, but enough people do like her that in the end it’s worth placing her on your site. Okay the latter portion of that analogy is weird but even though some may be against hero images they perform quite well for CTA conversions.

Starting with a Mockup

Great designs usually start with a clean mockup. This would be the best time to scope out hero images for use in the layout. High-profile websites will hire professional photographers or web designers who have some knowledge of photography to capture great photos. These could be photos of a restaurant, gym, car, boat, laptop, strip club… if there’s a need for a website, there’s a need for photos on that website.

kj wraps website mockup hero image

Harnessing the raw magical power of a DSLR feels amazing. A personal camera offers plenty of benefits when it comes time to edit in Photoshop to adjust for a certain layout style. But this isn’t always possible and you may need to use alternative photos instead. Thankfully there are some resources online that offer free Creative Commons photographs for design work.

One such resource is Pexels which curates free high-quality stock photography. And I know the word “stock” makes you think of overly-cheerful businessmen in unnaturally-seated positions but these are different. Pexels organizes photos based on quality and they’re often submitted by photographers all around the world. Another alternative is Flickr but not everything on their website is licensed under Creative Commons.

Knowing how to obtain the photographs is probably the most difficult part. If you’re a photographer it makes the process easier and surprisingly fun. Otherwise start out by practicing with free CC photos from Pexels or similar websites.

Responsive Images

If you’re building naturally responsive layouts then images and other media should naturally adapt to various screen sizes. Lots of responsive CSS solutions have been posted online if you’re using an image with the HTML img tag. A fullscreen background image behaves very similarly but requires a different block of code for responsive traits.

typical company hero image design layout

Since a majority of websites are progressing towards responsive design it would be in your best interest to stick with it. Thus a hero image should be displayed near its highest resolution possible, even greater than 1920px to accommodate 1080p resolution monitors.

25 Free Tools for Creating Responsive Layouts

Vector backgrounds are still in a limbo of browser support which can be a deterrent. I would suggest using JPEG files for images and going for a maximum of 2500-3000 pixels wide. If the image seems too large you can always reduce the size or the quality. Plus background images could be scaled so a 1000px window only sees the first 1000px of the image with the rest hidden.

Be Relatable!

When first meeting someone it’s often good advice to aim for common interests. Get the conversation moving towards a subject you both enjoy – or a subject where you can at least feign interest. This same advice will apply to hero images because relating to the audience will draw their attention in a meaningful way.

Granted this is not easy, but there’s no shortcut to practice and repetition. Study what other designers have used for header images. Learn which types of photography make you curious. Some photographs just need to accommodate the layout and provide a “home-sweet-home” feeling to new visitors.

Relation is going to be different for every project but it’s something that can be learned. You just need to think critically about the website and consider what type of imagery would be most appropriate. Some websites, like restaurants and portfolios, do better with very large photos showcasing the content. Other websites like social networks can get away with more generic stock photography.

Figure out the audience and determine what could best relate to their needs and the project’s needs. Using an image with a dual meaning can often get people thinking and more engaged in the discourse.

Closing

I would assume that most designers have already known about hero images even if they didn’t know the proper terminology. These ubiquitous little buggers have slipped into most landing pages and startup website layouts. I hope this article can outline the benefits of using a hero image on practically any type of website. You just need a good reason and solid method of garnering attention – the rest, as they say, is photography.

If you’re into web photography then check out this related post:

Massive Collection of Photo Editing Tuts and Photoshop Actions

Filed Under: Design Tagged With: howto, photography, tips, web design

Recent Posts

  • 31 Fresh Design Elements for Spring and Easter
  • 10 Templates for Music Concert Flyers
  • How to Build a Web Scraper Using Node.js
  • Best PHP Books, Courses and Tutorials in 2022
  • How to Get Your First Web Design Client

Archives

  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008

Categories

  • Accessibility
  • Android
  • Apps
  • Art
  • Article
  • Blogging
  • Books
  • Bootstrap
  • Business
  • CSS
  • Design
  • Development
  • Ecommerce
  • Fireworks
  • Flash
  • Freebies
  • Freelance
  • General
  • Giveaway
  • Graphic Design
  • HTML5
  • Icons
  • Illustrator
  • InDesign
  • Infographics
  • Inspirational
  • Interview
  • Jobs
  • jQuery
  • Learning
  • Logos
  • Matrix
  • Minimalism
  • Mobile
  • Motion Graphics
  • Music
  • News
  • Photoshop
  • PHP
  • Promoted
  • Rails
  • Resources
  • Showcase
  • Tools
  • Tutorial
  • Twitter
  • Typography
  • Uncategorized
  • Usability
  • UX
  • Wallpapers
  • Wireframing
  • WordPress
  • Work

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

SpyreStudios © 2022