Choose two of the following websites and identify at least three
potential problems for visitors. What could be improved on this website and
why?
There was
a lot of information and the design and presentation was not well thought out.
The logo, navigation and footer information were on every page, however, the
company banner moved or jerked when you went to a new page. I would have put
the contact phone number at the top of each page for easy reference. The
navigation along the left side was center justified which I did not like. The
links should have been lined up along the right edge and the body of
information moved away from the navigation; it was just to close together and
looked crowded.
As I mentioned, there is
a tremendous amount of information on each page, evidently they copied pages of a catalog and uploaded that information. That in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, it made the pages look sloppy but the different categories and items were
grouped together. The font was small, but the type was clean and easy to read.
The site just does not look professional.
This page
was very amateurish, it seems as though they did give some thought to the
design it just doesn’t come across very well. The elements were static but the
page was so long it almost didn’t matter. I would have made the page title
larger. This was apparently ‘page 2’ to an article that is referenced on the
home page. The other pages are the same. I would have kept the design on the
home page constant throughout the site. The alignment on the navigation was not
good. Again, I would have made it right justified. There is some space between
the navigation and body, but the body needs work. It should have some
navigation, and ‘top of page’ links throughout the article.
There is
so much information, it might have been better to divide it up into a couple of
pages, or better yet, make the visitor come to you. You could offer an e-book,
or newsletter, describing the process. But in any event, the reader should be
able to see what is being discussed and given a way to access the information
without having to page down, and down, and down!
Choose two and identify what they have done right. How does
design, aesthetics and branding impact your reaction to the websites?
I liked the
Ford Motor Co. website. I thought it was well laid out, straightforward and
they made it easy for me to ‘keep looking.’ The logo was prominent, the new
page content was right there. The background remained constant and I was able
to access the new information easily. The navigation was good; things were
clearly marked and grouped together well.
In spite of
the fact that there was a lot of information, it didn’t feel crowded. Items
were displayed in columns, with the type left justified. If the page was long,
there were ‘top of page’ links. The fonts were clean and easy to read. There
were drop down menus with only two or three levels for the most part. There was
also a site map at the bottom of the page.
They made
it very easy to contact them. You could choose social media, local dealerships,
or requesting information online. There was also contact information available
if you were already a Ford owner. The site was interactive enough to make a
service appointment or make a payment.
I liked this website. It was
well thought out and organized, very comprehensive and the color was easy on
the eyes. The logo, elements, contact information and footer were on every
page.
The alignment is good, it is
left justified and there is enough empty space around the images so they do not
look crowded. The captions are sufficient; even I understood what they were.
Items are grouped together well and supporting text follows headlines.
The content was easy to
decipher, the headings were in larger fonts and different colors and the text
was easy to read. The information was laid out on the page in an easy to follow
format. The navigation was clear and easy to use. There are links to
information embedded in the text. There are one click links to email and/or
print pages or access social media. The pages were not long; there are varying
layers of information depending on how detailed you, as a client would need.
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The two websites I chose to discuss are -
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The two websites I chose to discuss are -
1. Why are they effective?
The pricing is great;
they beat Amazon most of the time. They have a lot of choices, and it’s easy to
make product comparisons. It’s quick and easy to place an order, and they offer
free shipping on orders over $49.
2. What specific principles of good design do they
include and why?
They make it easy to
find the product you’re looking for.
They keep their site
fresh and current, pages are well organized.
The navigation is
easy, layout is pleasing, and there aren’t too many layers to get to the
products.
Fonts are small but
very legible, easy to read.
3. What makes you come back again?
See #1. I can use my
iPad to place orders. Additionally, the last order I placed arrived the
following day!
4. What could be improved?
I haven’t had any bad experiences
with them as a company, and I really like their website. I don’t think I would
change anything.
1. Why are they effective?
The website is
lovely. It’s inclusive, they offer seeds, live plants, and tools and supplies.
Additionally they offer education…
2. What specific principles of good design do they
include and why?
It’s well designed,
pleasing to look at, with colors that speak to gardening.
They grab your
attention; the header and footer are static; the repetition is flawless.
The alignment is
pleasing. It’s different in different areas but the text is all left justified,
there’s enough space between text or pictures, nothing is crowded.
The groupings make
sense, all the images are labeled.
The presentation
makes sense. There’s a migration from main idea - seeds - to vegetables - to
spinach, very tidy, straightforward.
Print is legible,
everything on each page flows from the top left, across and down.
They don’t overwhelm
on the amount of material for each plant. You can order one of their catalogs.
3. What makes you come back again?
Ditto - See #1. They
offer a stellar product, their customer service is good and I appreciate them
as a company.
4. What could be improved?
I don’t think I would change
anything.
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