: crate and barrel

I like Crate and Barrel a lot as a brand and for their products. Everything is usually simple, clean, useful, and pragmatic. It seems to me a very American aesthetic and makes me think of a sort of modern day Shaker design.

Its interesting then that they have taken this to a new level as part of their site interface design. Seems as though someone finally got sick of the pull-down navigation device. Instead, they reveal the entire available menu in a simple column structure as you make your selections. An obvious solution perhaps, but still surprising. Perhaps its a new trend, or maybe it is a convention that fits perfectly with the brand's easy no nonsense approach. Either way, its good to keep in mind for trend spotting.