Ariel- Homework: Good and Bad Website Design

Example of a good website:

http://www.modcloth.com/

The overall design of this website is clean, visually appealing, and easy to navigate. I really like how there are tabs running along the top of the page from left to right. When you click on shop, another list appears on the left hand side. It is organized by apparel, accessories, shoes, etc. It makes it really easy to view the items for sale by category. Then within each of those categories it is broken down even more. For example, if you were to click on shoes it is categorized by flats, heels, boots, wedges, and sandals. The design of the website is great because the shopper can browse everything if they aren’t sure what they want or they can view very specific things if they know what they want.

I also like how the blue color of their mushroom logo is also the color they chose to use as the background. It gives the website a cohesive look. It was a smart decision to make the text colors black, gray, and light gray. By using muted colors, it makes the pictures of the products stand out more.

I love how the website gives you an option to do a quick look at the product rather then having it take you to an entirely different page.

I really have no complaints about this website and love using it. At the moment I cannot think of any improvements to upgrade it.

Example of a bad website:

http://www.swimmingholes.org/

I personally use this website a lot and it kills me how tacky it is! SwimmingHoles.org is a website that lists swimming holes and hot springs in the United States and Canada. There is so much good information on this website, but the way it is presented most people do not even bother to look at it. Every time I send the link to somebody they just glance over it and then close it.

Here is a list of things that I would change:

1. The banner at the top of the page. I would like to see something more natural looking.
2. The overall font is Times New Roman and does not do anything for the website. I would try using a different font.
3. The background picture is of tropical looking water. The majority of the springs are not that color.
4. There are no tabs at the top nor are they on the left hand side. You have to scroll up and down the page and to find things such as the cautions, related links, swimming holes worldwide, etc. With all the green, blue, black, and red font it is enough to give someone a headache. Tabs are a must.

The one thing that I do like about this website is the map of the United States and Canada. You can click on any state you want and then it will bring you to a more detailed map of the state where it lists all the swimming holes and hot springs. It’s nice because it gives you an idea of how far away the swimming holes are from each other.

The creators of the website should consider making the main page more simple and direct. The banner should be at the top and then under the banner there should be tabs (Cautions, Videos, Related Links, About, Special Swimming Holes, etc). There then should be a bigger/better version of the map of the United States and Canada. That way, when people go to the website, they will know exactly how to navigate the site.