Competitive Analysis for Final Project

http://www.wmuc.umd.edu/

This site, while not horrible, could definitely use some work. As far as targeting any kind of audience, it seems to be a blank slate. A lot of white space and little personality or character. Also, the navigation is confusing since the primary navigation is below the fold. The typography, while not anything special, is readable and with black type against a white background, provides perfect contrast. But, speaking in terms of color, that’s also one of the major downsides of this site. There isn’t any. Just black and white as far as I can tell (with splashes of red here and there).  Overall it’s a good color combination between grey, black & white. The 3-column layout does work well and keeps everything simple. Again, if it weren’t for the poorly organized navigation and lack of color or personality in this site, I’d actually give it a thumbs up. Oh well, no site’s perfect.

http://uclaradio.com/

My first impression of UCLA’s radio station website was that it is visually engaging, using strong contrast to draw the user in. I’ve always liked the color combination of black and orange. I also think that they’ve done a good job at targeting the college audience. The site has a grungy look that reminds me of some cool divey underground club. The navigation is pretty straightforward although I wish the link for their home page was listed. It’s really just the graphic image in the top left corner. Not hard to figure out but why leave it out of the navigation scheme? Anyway, overall it’s a basic two-column site that works well in my humble opinion.

http://www.kuci.org/

My first reaction to this site is that it just looks to busy. I think this comes down to the use of too many different font sizes and typefaces. Most of the fonts used are too small to tell the truth. It’s like looking someone’s name up in the yellow pages. I like the color scheme and I think this works well but the logo is somewhat unimaginative. But, I think the main problem this site suffers from is that they’re trying to fit in too much information. The navigation is also somewhat confusing since the primary navigation is not included on all pages. I think they need someone to edit their site and tell them that you don’t have to include the life history of every member of the radio station on their “About” page. The site seems much more concerned with the practicality of needing to convey information as opposed to making the site visually appealing or easy to navigate.

 

 

Communication Brief for Final Project

Project Overview:  CJLO was formed in 1998 as a merger between CRSG and CFLI, two former stations, CJLO is Concordia University’s one and only radio station. 100% non-profit, and run almost entirely by volunteers, the station is located in the heart of the Loyola campus in the NDG borough of Montreal. Their on-air personalities are the backbone of the station and there are over eighty DJ’s spinning for your listening pleasure. The music the air consists of Rock, Alt, Hip-Hop, RPM, Punk, Metal, Jazz, Blues, World, Country or Talk and Sports.

The current site was published in 2010. It has a somewhat amateurish look that doesn’t their target audience. It also looks cluttered with the primary focus being the logo, which in and of itself, is unfortunate. The logo is really what gives this site its amateurish look since it is covered with paint splotches and, more or less, looks like a painting by a 4-year-old. There are too many fonts used, which creates a problem with hierarchy. This goes back to the problem of the site being cluttered. It’s almost as if the designer figured that all college students suffer from ADD and that if they’re not constantly visually stimulated, they’ll go elsewhere. The station realizes this and knows that it is time for an image rebrand. They are in need of a new website which will showcase their latest music, news, and events. They also want a site that reflects their understanding of college students or people who listen to eclectic music. This is a site that will be edgy, yet sophisticated, and will visually reflect the musical tastes of their DJs and listeners. Emphasis will be on ease of navigation user friendliness. Listeners of the station come here to get information that they wouldn’t otherwise get from the station. There is no point in making the site so visually stimulating if the user can’t find what they’re looking for. In fact their present site makes it harder to navigate because of all of the unnecessary clutter.

The look and feel of this new site will be simple, somewhat edgy and, at the same time, visually pleasing to the eye. Think of an Ipod, Iphone, etc. This site’s primary purpose is to improve the experience for the station’s current listenership so that it’s easy to find the information they’re looking for. This site will show that CJLO is on top of current trends and, at the same time, creating new trends. Using a minimalist layout the user will instantly recognize that CJLO does not need flashy graphics or childish graphics in order to appeal to its audience. Finding information about one’s favorite music should be a quick and simple process with no bells and whistles. Easy navigation and usability will be a strong factor here. On the visual side, the attraction will be the polished and, at the same time, edgy look and feel of the site.

The secondary goals of the new site are to attract new listeners and show them that, while this is a college radio station, it is also run by professional and hard-working individuals that take their work seriously. As reflected by this new site, this station is cool, edgy, and on top of current trends and upcoming events. The long-term goal of the site is to establish CJLO as a trendsetter and a place to go to find interesting music and information about local artists. By updating their image, CJLO will become the station that’s talked about on a daily basis by excited and energetic college students who want to be in on the latest trends and goings-on.

Audience Profile: The target audience is made up of college students or anyone with an eclectic taste in music. They can be male or female and the age range is 17 – 30. A typical visitor is a 20-year-old male who goes to college fulltime. He loves a wide range of music but generally prefers underground rock and hip-hop music. He goes online often for information about his favorite music, movies, and live events in his area. The first thing he may do on the site is click on the “Music” link in order to find out what music is scheduled on the station and who is scheduled to be DJing and what bands are scheduled to make live appearances. He may also click on the “Upcoming Events” link to look for local shows in his area. He cares about music first and foremost and finding out more about it. For example, he may have heard a great song that morning and now wants to find out more about the artist and when and where they’re scheduled to perform next. He may then click on the “Store” tab and look up clothing and accessories that he may like. The trigger that would prompt him to visit this site is that, while it has an appealing interface, the site also makes it easy to navigate through and find information as easily as possible.

Perception/Tone/Guidelines: Our target audience will be drawn to the site’s appealing interface and the ease in which they can find information quickly. College students are pretty active and busy with school so the idea is to let them find the information they need without any bells and whistles so that they can move on with their busy lives. They’ll hear about the site through word of mouth and from the station advertising the site’s name on a regular basis. Visually, our site will look clean and streamlined with a lot of rounded corners that convey a feeling of smoothness and easy usability. Again, think of the physical design of an Ipod or Iphone. Perception: Cool, trendy, easy to use, visually appealing, straightforward, intuitive, fun, quirky.

Communication Strategy: Our overall message is that CJLO is a cool edgy radio station that plays a diverse range of music without a bunch of ads or corporate sponsorship. We will convey this message by simplifying the look and feel of the site as well as the navigation. The idea with this site is that it’s all about the music. An announcement of an upcoming live show or featured artist will appear on the home page which will draw the user in. The degree by which to judge the website’s success will be determined by whether or not the station sees an increase in listenership and live show attendance over the next six months after the unveiling of the new site.

Single-Minded Message: Cool, edgy, simple, and easy to use.

Sitemap for Final Project

Excellent Example of Web Typography

The website I’ve chosen that I think makes excellent use of typography is the New Yorker website http://www.newyorker.com/.

One of the reasons I like it is because the typeface in the header and sub-headers reminds me of a classic typeface from the ’20s that I think would have been perfectly at home in an edition of The Great Gatsby. The designers were obviously going for this look since they have a graphic right next to the header of a man with a monocle and top hat, which is clearly from the 20′s and 30′s. Also the designer of the site uses serif fonts very nicely to fit in the with sans serif fonts. The logo and the headers all have the same serif typeface while only the sub navigation uses sans serif, which makes sense to me since this is the practical part of any website. People don’t really need the navigation to be decorative. They just want to be able to read it easily and then to click on it. The line height of the content is well spaced providing enough room for readability, and it also fits within the limit of 60 characters. The site also makes great use of white space so that there is enough room for content while it doesn’t clutter up the site. All in all, I think this is a great example of how to use typography to further enhance the look and feel of the site and, at the same time, provide for a comfortable environment, in which the user can find information easily and navigate to it with ease.

 

 

Sitemap for Midterm Project

Midterm Project Critiques

Hi Everyone,

Listed below is the link for my midterm project. I would use Firefox to view it since IE (at least my version) doesn’t render very well.

 http://www.everythingaboutweb.com/grdes66/manning_chris/index.html

Midterm Project

Communication Brief

Project Overview: Sky’s the Limit is a retail company specializing in airline uniform apparel. They have been in business since 1948 and they have a loyal customer base. But, at the same time, the current site has had the same look for some time now and it’s beginning to look rather stale. And, while they don’t want to lose this important base, the company also recognizes that they are not expanding at the same rate as their newer, younger competitors. In short, it is time for an image rebrand. They are in need of a new website which will showcase their best offerings and, at the same time, reflect their image as a modern and sophisticated company that adheres to the highest standards of quality craftsmanship.

The look and feel of this new site should be similar to the felling one gets while boarding a modern airline and receiving the utmost in first-class treatment. The site should look polished, bright, and be easy to navigate. This site’s primary purpose is to improve the experience for the current customer base in order to make it that much easier to find and buy quality airline apparel. This site will show that Sky’s the Limit is dynamic, on top fo current trends and, at the same time, creating new trends. Using a modern minimalist layout the user will instantly recognize that Sky’s the Limit does not need a flashy graphics or gimmicky navigation techniques to get its point across. The process of buying apparel should be quick and simple process with no bells and whistles. Easy navigation and usability will be a strong factor here. On the visual side, the attraction will be the polished, professional and, at the same time, warm and friendly look and feel of the site.

the secondary goals of the new site are to attract new customers (hopefully from existing competitors) and, for the reasons outlined above, show them that this a company that while founded in 1948, is quite clearly in the 21st century. As reflected by this new site, this company is polished, professional, and is ready to listed to and adapt to its’ customers’ needs.

The long-term goal of th site is to reestablish Sky’s the Limit as the leader in airline apparel. While the company has been around the longest, it is no longer the go-to company when one is in need of airline apparel. By updated their image, this site will once again make Sky’s the Limit the standard to which all other airline apparel companies must be judged.

Audience Profile: Our target audience includes those within the airline industry who are responsible for supplying their specific airline with the necessary uniforms.  They can be male or female and any age. Another target audience would also include airline or pilots that work for private corporations as well as flight attendants who are looking for airline apparel and accessories. They can be any age or gender.

A typical visitor is a male in his early 30s who works for Delta Airlines and has been given the task of supplying the pilots and flight attendants with their necessary uniforms. He goes online fairly often as he is responsible for supplying the airline with other items as well. For this specific task he needs to make sure that the vendor is a professional company that provides quality apparel. He also needs to make sure that he stays within his given budget. The first thing he may do on the site is click on the “About Us” link in order to confirm that the company is reputable and has been in business for some time. Once satisfied, he may click on “Shop Online” link in order to perform a search for items that he is looking for. Once he finds them, he’ll check the prices, and begin the ordering process.  He may also need more information than the site provides so he’ll click on the link “Contact Us”. Here, he’ll email the company a message or call them directly. He cares about providing the pilots and flight attendants with quality uniforms that look professional and are also durable. The trigger that would prompt him to visit this site is that while it has an appealing interface, the site also makes it easy to navigate through and purchase uniforms in the most expedient manner possible.

Perception/Tone/Guidelines: Our target audience will be drawn to the site’s polished and professional look and the fact that it makes it easy for them to buy apparel and accessories quickly so that they can move on with their busy lives. They’ll hear about it by performing a “Search” online as well as through word of mouth. Visually, our site will look clean and streamlined with a lot of rounded corners that convey a feeling of smoothness and easy usability.

Perception: Familiar, easy to use, appealing to the user, straightforward, intuitive, polished, professional, efficient.

Communication Strategy: Our overall message is that Sky’s the Limit is a company that cares enough about the customer to provide a professional, modern, and easy-to-use website for their buying of their airline apparel. We will convey this message by simplifying the navigation process and creating a visually-appealing interface. We will make a specific offer on the home page which will draw the user in. We will include a brief statement that shows that the company has been around for 63 years so that the user can automatically put to rest any notions that the company could be unreliable or untested. The degree by which to judge the websites success will be determined by whether or not the company sees an increase in sales over the next six months after the unveiling of the new site.

Single-Minded Message: Polished, professional, modern, and easy to use.

Web Design 2 – Questions from our Readings

Q. What are the 3 main rules outlined in the reading “Rules for a Perfect Website Navigation.”

A. Include Active/Hover States, Don’t include too many links, Keep your menu prominent and clear.

Q. When should you use breadcrumb navigation, and when shouldn’t you use breadcrumb navigation.

A. If the site is complex, you can use breadcrumbs to indicate where the current page is in relation to the rest of the site.  But, you should not use breadcrumbs when you don’t need to. Meaning, there is no benefit to using them navigation-wise. Also, using breadcrumb trails as primary navigation is a mistake. Breadcrumbs are an optional aid to navigation. Lastly, using breadcrumbs when pages have multiple categories is also something to avoid. Breadcrumb trails have a linear structure, so using them will be difficult if your pages can’t be classified into neat categories.

Q. What is meant by the navigational “rule”–  Clearly distinguish primary and secondary sections. Give an example.

A. A general rule to follow when designing navigation in a web site. The primary section includes the primary links (e.g. “About,” “Services, Contact” etc.). The secondary section includes links which are usually accessible from every page and located near the primary links. The secondary links section is usually more specific in terms of information offered. A good example is the New York Times website (http://www.nytimes.com/) where the primary section is on the top far right of the page and the secondary section is on the far right.

Q What are the 4 things to consider in the Information Gathering  Phase as outlined in our reading “6 Phases of the Web Site Design and Development Process.”

A.Purpose – What is the purpose of the site? Do you want to provide information, promote a service, sell a product… ?
Goals – What do you hope to accomplish by building this web site? Two of the more common goals are either to make money or share information. Target Audience – Is there a specific group of people that will help you reach your goals? It is helpful to picture the “ideal” person you want to visit your web site. Consider their age, sex or interests – this will later help determine the  best design style for your site. Content – What kind of information will the target audience be looking for on your site? Are they looking for specific information, a particular product or service, online ordering…?

Q. From our reading “34 Places to Get Design Inspiration – Online and Off,” pick the place that has the most potential to inspire you and tell me why you’ve chosen this as  a place to get inspiration.

A. http://csszengarden.com/     I really enjoyed going through the various sites and seeing the different versions of the same page. It’s inspiring to see just what is possible using css.

Q. What are the advantages of Web Standards as discussed in the article, “Jeffrey Zeldman: King of Web Standards.”

A. If everyone is using the latest web technology as their standard(e.g. css) then companies and web designers can save time and money by utilizing the most efficient technology. They can also be sure that this technology will be compatible on everyone’s computer and that everyone’s on the same page so to speak.

Q. Name 5 of the 10 “accessibility for user” items  listed in the Web Standards checklist.

“alt” attributes should be used for all descriptive images

The site uses relative units rather than absolute units for text size.

Aspects of the layout don’t break if font size is increased.

The site use visible skip menus

The site use accessible forms

Mid Term Design Comps – REV 2