REVIEW: Sprig.com

I don’t remember where I first saw Sprig.com, though I suspect it was in another blog’s links section. There are lots of “sustainable” and “green” blogs out there, and I try and keep up with which blogs are saying what. By checking out my favorite blogs and seeing which sites they’re linking to, I’ve found many well-written, interesting blogs. And sadly, I’ve found many bad ones as well. For me, Sprig falls into the latter category.

The site starts of by telling its readers that “Stylish/Sexy/Suburban/Sassy People Are Into Green,” with the “S” adjectives changing each time you reload the page. I think they’re trying to appeal to the hipness of the “green” movement, which is annoying in the first place, by calling out those who consider themselves to be stylish, sexy, sassy, or all of the above. But “suburban” people? Since when were suburbanites considered the epitome of hip? Of course, suburbanites ARE into “green,” comforting their consciences by patting themselves on the back for their recent Prius purchases, while maintaining perfectly green lawns throughout summer and buying five pairs of their favorite capri pants online. I don’t see how reminding readers how hypocritical they are could possibly increase Sprig’s readership.

Taglines aside, I have two major problems with this site. For one, there’s a lot of visual stimulation going on. The site’s design combines a bold, circular pattern with faux-print screen dots reminiscent of Lichtenstein, creating an effect that’s lacking in legibility. Also, the site’s title at the top of the page is extraordinarily large for the web, which in combination with the use of pattern makes it seem as if the designers have relied on print design techniques that don’t necessarily translate into web design.

My second problem with Sprig is its content. At the top of the site is a form field that boldly declares “SEARCH OUR DATABASE,” so I tried doing exactly that. I typed in “lotion” and hit enter, curious to see what the site’s take is on such a diverse and ubiquitous category, only to find the results listed pictorially in a grid of small squares. When I rolled over these squares, the name of the product became visible, although the manufacturer’s name has been excluded from this popup. How is that supposed to be helpful? Furthermore, when I clicked on some of the different moisturizers and creams to read the reviews, I found the information provided to be marginally useful. The format of the reviews divides the content into “Why It’s Good” and “Why It’s Green” sections, and during my search I didn’t find any kind of depth to these quick descriptions. Some mentioned a given product’s lack of parabens or pthalates, however there was never a mention of anything more than the most recognizable buzzwords. And when I tried to group searches using the “Search Results by Tags” feature to the left of the results grid, it seemed like I just kept getting the same results over and over again, which wasn’t very helpful.

So, here’s my overall impression of Sprig in a round-up: the design lacks hierarchy and legibility, the content of the product reviews is superficial in dealing with ingredients, and the search results were barely customizable. For a site that’s trying to cover all the bases, from recipes and kitchenware to makeup and garden tools, its problems are going to be a lot to overcome. Perhaps readers won’t have the same problems with Sprig’s designs and content superficiality that I do. Coincidentally, I’m not particularly sexy, or sassy, or even suburban. So maybe the problem is that I’m just not part of the site’s target demographic. Maybe there are tons of hip suburban moms who will find Sprig to be the freshest thing they’ve ever laid eyes on.

But I wouldn’t bet on it.