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I'm building a website for a new company and right at the homepage there is a main action where users need to select wich city they are located in order to show specific results, which depends on the city. It's like a service to find places next to you.

Because this is a new company, new website, etc.. There is part of the homepage dedicated to explain how the website works, even if it's "easy" it's better to show the user why he needs to select the city and what results he may get.

Because of this, there isn't much space to work with on the homepage, or at least not enough space to show the main information without harming the layout, which is something I'm trying to keep as clean as possible, specially because the idea is to have a dynamic header with big hero images at the homepage. You can see this design I'm working on (low fidelity, but you can get the idea): Desktop and mobile.

With this in mind, I ended up leaving the logotype a little bit off the screen. Although it is always visible at the main navigation bar, I know it's important to keep users aware of which website they are navigating in to enforce the brand for the users who are not used to it yet. Specially with a new company.

Is this an acceptable decision to make? To make a clear layout focusing on the main actions of the page and providing a better user experience? Or should I try to find space on the homepage to give a better view of the companys Logo/Name, in order to make a better presence of the brand?

This is an alternative layout I was working with: Desktop

This is an example of the 2 desktop designs using images, wich seems a little "too much" when using the logo on top of the image: Desktop with logo, Desktop without logo.

For me, it seems too much when using overlaping text/image, specially on the header with bighero images, which gives a better design appearence in general. But I don't want it to look just beautiful, I prefer to have a better, functional and more intuitive website.

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  • Not necessarily.
    – Kristiyan Lukanov
    Mar 14, 2017 at 9:33
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    If you need a header, contemplate having a large version of the logo at the top of the site, and then a header that appears once the top is out of view that has a smaller version that is less intrusive.
    – TernaryTopiary
    Mar 14, 2017 at 9:46

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First, I like to disagree to Devin's words,"but I'm quite sure at least 90% of sites don't have a fixed headers. Starting by the one you're reading right now.". The websites like this which was built before 2-3yrs ago don't have fixed header, Fixed header were just not as popular as it is now.Nowadays You'll find fixed headers in most of the websites.

Seconds,It is not mandatory to keep the logo in the header many popular websites just collapse it to just insignia when scrolled down, some even hide them. Knowing this is a commercial website i suggest you keep it as a floating header. I wouldn't recommend if it is a reading or a non commercial website like this one.

I don't recommend you to use the logo on the banner/Hero image, but text should go well

enter image description here

It serves as a help text for the website, you can even play with the words, but putting logo there is not recommandable,you are dividing the attention by putting multiple image on top of one another and also logo duplication feels a little desperate for attention which is not a good thing.

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    well, let's put it this way: now is a trend for around 10% of the sites to have fixed headers (it's an exaggeration, number probably is less than 2%, considering only sites built last 2/3 years, but for example's sake). This trend will prove to be effective (or not) in the future, and will be replaced by another one (or not). We don't know. In the meanwhile, the only thing we know for sure is that those big sites that use fixed headers today, became moguls without a fixed header. And nobody complained nor there was any UX issue (which fixed headers have). Sounds better?
    – Devin
    Mar 14, 2017 at 14:55
  • That's a nice point of view! Only thing I was thinking about is "but text should go well". But, instead of using it with the hero image, I replaced the label "How it work" with the "slogan", which works fine with the workflow description.
    – CelsomTrindade
    Mar 14, 2017 at 20:26
  • Devin, Just for your satisfaction, go to google and type a keyword try clicking on the links of the commercial websites in the list. You'll find the trend is definitely not less than 2% which you claim to be. "became moguls without a fixed header." means they migrated to a better UX. "nobody complained nor there was any UX issue", do you think people cared about UX that time, most mid tier company didn't care about the UX that time, it was later that they found out that having better UX means happy customers, which is an advantage.
    – nitesh bhargav
    Mar 21, 2017 at 7:01
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First thing first

to answer your specific question in the title: No it's not required.

And it's easily proven: in order to have your logo visible at all times, you should use a fixed header. I don't have numbers for this, but I'm quite sure at least 90% of sites don't have a fixed headers. Starting by the one you're reading right now.

As for your example

This is a totally different question (and one I'm not sure I'm understanding correctly since the logos are visible in both cases) but it will depend on how the design is implemented. For example, the above mentioned fixed header case would keep your logo visible at all times. Logo over the hero image is OK as long as you don't need that space. I have used it before, so I won't tell otherwise. However, in this case, you're settling for a logo which is not visible at all times (then again, you can easily mix both approaches with affix or the likes).

Bottom line is: there's no right or wrong path, so if you care more for usability than aesthetics, then you'll need to test with real users and get real data in order to provide a better experience

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  • Fixed header is something I was already going to because of this. But yeah, test with real users is something I'll be doing later when the service is online. It's not a big ($) project to spend that much time now testing stuff. But thanks for your feedback!
    – CelsomTrindade
    Mar 14, 2017 at 20:29
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A brand is much more than the logo. It's the imagery, tone of voice, colour palette and typography.

When you use imagery in a banner and combine it with messaging specific to the product, you are showcasing the brand so the logo isn't required.

For a new company, function is the most important area to concentrate on, the product needs to delight users. The brand will be built when people start using the product.

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  • This is something I haven't noticed before, and now it seems so obvious. Thanks!
    – CelsomTrindade
    Mar 14, 2017 at 20:27

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