Assgn 1 - Good and Bad Assignment

GOOD DESIGN

Text

Background does not interrupt the text

Text is big enough to read, but not too big

The hierarchy of information is perfectly clear

Columns of text are narrower than in a book to make reading easier on the screen

 

Navigation

Navigation buttons and bars are easy to understand and use

Navigation is consistent throughout web site

Navigation buttons and bars provide the visitor with a clue as to where they are, what page of the site they are currently on

Frames, if used, are not obtrusive

A large site has an index or site map

 

Links

Link colors coordinate with page colors

Links are underlined so they are instantly clear to the visitor

 

Graphics

Buttons are not big and dorky

Every graphic has an alt label

Every graphic link has a matching text link

Graphics and backgrounds use browser-safe colors

Animated graphics turn off by themselves

 

General Design

Pages download quickly

First page and home page fit into 800 x 600 pixel space

All of the other pages have the immediate visual impact within 800 x 600 pixels

Good use of graphic elements (photos, subheads, pull quotes) to break up large areas of text

Every web page in the site looks like it belongs to the same site; there are repetitive elements that carry throughout the pages

BAD DESIGN

Text

Text that is too small to read

Text crowding against the left edge

Text that stretches all the way across the page

Centered type over flush left body copy

Paragraphs of type in all caps

Paragraphs of type in bold

Paragraphs of type in italic

Paragraphs of type in all caps, bold, and italic all at once

Underlined text that is not a link

Navigation

Unclear navigation; over complex navigation

Complicated frames, too many frames, unnecessary scroll bars in frames

Orphan pages (no links back to where they came from, no identification)

Useless page titles that don't explain what the page is about

Links

Default blue links

Blue link borders around graphics

Links that are not clear about where they will take you

Links in body copy that distract readers and lead them off to remote, useless pages

Text links that are not underlined so you don't know they are links
          ..(If you're not going to underline your links, please make darned sure
          ..that each link is perfectly clearly a link! Don't make me wander around
          ..with my mouse checking to see if randomly colored text is a link!)

Dead links (links that don't work anymore)

 

Graphics

Large graphic files that take forever to load

Meaningless or useless graphics

Thumbnail images that are nearly as large as the full-sized images they link to

Graphics with no alt labels

Missing graphics, especially missing graphics with no alt labels

Graphics that don't fit on the screen (assuming a screen of 800 x 600 pixels)

 

General Design

Entry page or home page that does not fit within standard browser window (800 x 600 pixels)

Frames that make you scroll sideways

No focal point on the page

Too many focal points on the page

Navigation buttons as the only visual interest, especially when they're large (and dorky)

Cluttered, not enough alignment of elements

Lack of contrast (in color, text, to create hierarchy of information, etc.)

Pages that look okay in one browser but not in another

1. Robin Chell Design - GOOD
    http://www.robinchelldesign.com/


    This is website I randomly googled to find interior design firm website in Seattle. I think this is very successful web design for visitors navigating. Background color is natural tone of gray that does not interrupt any texts on the page. Texts might little small, but every texts are easy to read. Sidebar menu is well organized and have hierarchy on contents. Contact informations are easy to find and direclty link to e-mail address.


2. Christine Ferri - GOOD
    http://www.christineferri.com/


    I found a student's web portfolio site, Christine graduated from Moore College of Art and Design with Interior Design program. It was a very good website for me to review. First, I liked dark blue background presenting clear and simple, eye-comfy to look at. She made out just enough contents to introduce who she is and her projects. Thing that bothers me a bit, was her text of the side menu lining up vertically. The way she made to projecting her portfolio works really nice, but slides goes a little fast and I think lack of texts to describe what project is about.


3. Kristen Cole - BAD
    http://www.wix.com/colekristen1288/design


   This is another student's web portfolio site and personally, I think it does not work for me. First you come to homepage of website, she presents quote but the text is really hard to read. Also, I think texts are overwhelmed and it is bold with light color title. Texts are too big and as you follow to see other contents such as 'porfolio' menu, you can see text sizes are changing. If you look at portfolio menu and click to see other projects, some image sizes are different on each tab. But I like the idea that you can click images to see enlarged image that helps to read and understand such a small texts of project (ex. Construction Documents) but enlarging speed is too slow.