multimedia
355
authoring

assignment one: website critique - 15%

For this first assignment, I want you to start thinking about the elements that go into making a good or a bad website. This work will help you in later assignments as you work on developing your own sites!
For some online examples of web critiques, check out the following sites:

• A very basic web critique:
  http://calstaging.bemidjistate.edu/en3160f01/alberg/sitereview.html
• A more advanced example of a web critique:
  http://calstaging.bemidjistate.edu/en3160f01/lrjohnson/sitereview.html
• Jakob Nielsen’s Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design:
  http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html

The Assignment

Select a Web site that interests you -- in either a good or a bad way – and evaluate it in a three-page written report. You can use the following topics as a guide in your analysis (but don’t just use them in a question-and-answer way):

• Purpose/audience: why does this Web site exist? who is the intended audience? does the design match the audience? why or why not?
• Navigation: How is the navigation laid out on each page? Is it intuitive? Why or why not? Would you change the navigation layout? If so, how?
• Layout: Describe the layout (or in some situations, lack thereof) of the pages in the site. Is it consistent? Is it clear? Does if fit well with the purpose/audience? What commands/tags are used to construct the layout (lists? tables? frames? etc.)? What, if anything, would you change?
• Color and graphics: Describe the colors and graphics. Are they well chosen? Why or why not? What effect do they have?

Be sure to include the URL of the site that you analyze!
You can email me the finished report or give me a written copy in class.
You may, if you choose, put your critique online and give me the URL.

This assignment is due in class (or by email) on September 7th.

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