Chapter 3 - Key Ideas
OK, here's the deal...
Add AT LEAST ONE comment to this post about the KEY IDEAS you found in Chapter 3 of "Visual Design for the Modern Web."
The earlier, the easier it will be to find unique ideas... No Repeats!
posted by Dr. John @ 1:37 PM
15 comments
15 Comments:
I was pleased to see the idea of using breadcrumbs mentioned in this chapter. I use them constantly when browsing big sites like Amazon.com, and they're hugely helpful for e-commerce sites. People aren't going to waste their time on poor navigation; they'll go somewhere else, which is why breadcrumbs are so helpful. The text also describes that Dreamweaver can help generate breadcrumbs, which could be a big help.
I found the section "Affordances for Text Links" very interesting. It describes how most text links display either a difference in color or style change. A typical link is usually in a blue font and a link that has been visited displays as a purple font. Also, links can also be underlined names or titles without actually showing the url. I have noticed this on the web, but never gave it much consideration. I found it interesting that most web users recognize where they have been on the site or that underlined text usually implies a link. This section reinforced that it is important to keep this concept consistent if a site is to maintain easy navigation.
This comparison of a poorly designed workflow v. a well-designed workflow was helpful. When I first saw the poorly designed diagram I was a little confused, but rereading the section before it and then seeing the comparison with the well-designed (code v. click box, as well) helped me understand what the issue at hand was.
I found the little section about splash pages interesting. I didn't know they were meant to stall me in order to gather my information. I've only run into a couple over the years, but when I do, I tend to just exit right out of them anyway. I guess I've never been excited about a window popping up that I didn't even want in the first place.
The section on frames was pretty fun to read. I really cant recall the last time a was on a website which used them, which is probably for good reason. They can cause a number of navigational nightmares and are only good for a very strict number of applications. Futhermore, if you choose to use them, please turn off the frame borders because they are hideous.
I liked how she went into some detail on menu size. I've always wondered how to chose a correct set of menu options and how to keep visitors to keep exploring a site. It never occurred to me how I was navigating a site because I just did it as I grew up and rolled with what ever a website had. More choices at once so visitors don't have to click a lot, sounds good to me.
There is a section on page 118 on teasers that I found interesting. Basically a teaser is something on a webpage that is used to grab the visitors attention, for example news, sale items, or even banners. I wrote about this because I think its important to choose your "teaser" wisely on your website. A news or sale item teaser wouldn't be a bad idea, but those teasers that flash across the screen when you enter some websites are annoying. Or those ones that say your the 10 billionth visitor and you win an ipod and they flash so out of control it almost sends you into a seizure. I guess what I'm trying to say is, tease people wisely.
Brandon
I Like the author's Navigation Principals. After going through them, I found that many of my favorite websites do many of the same things that she talks about. The navigation is simple visible and consistent. There are orientation markers. My effort is minimized. There are different ways to get around, and so on.
For me, keyboard shortcuts have become more important as I get through college. The example in the book describes using a keyboard shortcut to benefit someone who is a frequent visitor to the site or who is unable to use a mouse. I haven't seen many of these keyboard shortcuts used on the internet, but audio/video/image editing software uses keyboard short cuts that can greatly increase your productivity. Although it only takes a second to grab the mouse and click your target. Saving a few seconds with each action saves time on a grand scale.
I really like the section on providing ways of finding information through various forms. Not everyone comes to a location with the first intention of finding the store hours. Instead they may be looking first to see if the store's websites gives what products they carry, then they may need to know the stores hours if they see it has the items they are looking for. People have very different and often very busy lives, creating easy navigation that can be accessed on different pages or different ways is a sure way to have people revisit your cite for information.
there were a couple of points that were made that are very obvious, but they're good things to be reminded of. The first was to make navigation easy. you don't want to make your links blend in so well that people don't know how to navigate your site. The second point was a 'you are here' button. Dr. John always says that sites need them, but it's a nice reminder. you always want your viewer to know where they are on the site. i think these two points are pretty closely associated.
There was already one comment about frames, but this isn't really a repeat I guess, but the part on frames is good because it talks about a page with multiple frames must load multiple html documents, which takes too long and is irritating for people like me with an old dell that often over heats, runs slow, and overall is a piece of trash. no frames. bah.
I enjoyed the section about favorite menus and favicons. I know that is probably one of the last things designed (if any) during the creation of a website, but I find it to be very helpful. With the sheer size of my bookmark menu, the little favicon makes it so much easier to find what I'm looking for. Plus they look cool.
I thought the section on Embedded Links was a good tip to adhere to. Alot of times, sites will have too many of them and it becomes distracting. I didn't really ever think that the reason that a paragraph was distracting because of the use of too many embedded links.
Minimizing visitor effort is one key attraction in a website, to me. I hate going to Amazon's web page because there's no direct link to log in that I know of. It's such a chore just to sign in or out that I try to avoid snooping around on there on a regular basis. While this may not be an issue to casual users, it prevents me from easily accessing simple information. I find minimizing visitor effort to be sort of perplexing then, in that there are so many things to consider in catering to a wide array of users.
Post a Comment
<< Home