websites that suck

1. How does the reading relate to the concept of user-focused design that we have discussed in class?

Webpages have to be constructed for the user, just like products have to be constructed for the consumer. The author himself had design issues. Many of the sites that the author uses as examples I have never heard of, therefore his points lacked evidence. As he mentioned, his page was really long, I scrolled through and wouldn’t have read it I didn’t have to.

2. What points do you feel are most important?

The goal of a website is to communicate information. There are three ways that the line of communication can be severed or there can be miscommunication. The author’s sixth point, navigational failure, can completely confuse a user. It is like driving on a highway with no signs: you know exactly where you want to go but you have no idea how to get there. I have experienced this while surfing the Kalamazoo website. I know the specific information I need, but I cannot find it and do not know how I got to it before, so I spend ten minutes looking for information and ten seconds reading it. When the user cannot even find the information, there is no way that it can be communicated. The user gives up and finds a better website. Similar to this is the second point, being able to figure out the goal of the website in four seconds. If the user does not know what the purpose of the website is, they probably do not care about it and will move on. If the user cannot figure the website out, then they will conclude that it is not intended for them. If a website has too much material, the tenth idea, like when the scroll bar is a millimeter long, then there is too much to communicate and therefore a lack of communication. Certain information needs to be emphasized or linked on different pages. The user will not read one long page, will not even want to skim one long document and will move on. Even if the information is great, the user will still not receive it.

3. Create your own list of important design factors for a webpage.

• Simple

• Organized
• Easily understood

LAYOUT:

All Pages:

• Name, motto, and logo with adequate description of function
• Colorful, intriguing images and text
• Search bar at top
• List of all topics in website displayed with categorized keywords

Categories for links on all pages:

• Home
• About us
• Contact information
• Location
• Other specialized links

Home Page:

• Recent news
• Overview of website
• Goals of website