A Quick Introduction

Week One

Part One

Hi my name is Alexandra Leale, but I prefer to go by Ali. I am a junior at Western Washington University where I am a Communication Major seeking a minor in event planning. I really love the Communication Department at Western & am currently enrolled in Emerging Communication Technologies. Our first assignment was to create our own blog & make weekly posts, hence the reason for this entry. Over the course of the quarter we will be creating our own websites as well [which I am really excited about] but I am having a hard time brainstorming ideas for the site content. Hopefully I'll get inspired with some creative ideas soon. I am passionate about sports, mainly soccer, I enjoy photography, my friends are incredibly important to me, & I really want to learn how to cook, rather than eating pasta every night but I am not sure how to translate these interests into a full website. I guess we will see!

Part Two

While I am trying to come up with some website ideas I need to also consider the possible design. Having never done this before I am going to start by listing some components that will help make my site aesthetically pleasing.

Top 10 Rules:


1) Only use a Minimal Amount of Font Faces
[Once you begin adding more fonts than necessary they can begin to conflict with one another and become either overwhelming or just annoying. By using a minimal number you can also create a sense of order and calmness].

2) Do Not Use Too Many Colors
[This is a common trend I saw in the Top 3 class assignment that immediately ruined a site, regardless of the quality of content. Color is obviously a good way to add personality and life to your site but it can be easily overdone. Color that is subtle and easy on the eyes is the best way to go].

3) Have A Clear Purpose for the Site
[If the people navigating your site are having a hard time determining what it is even about, you have a problem. From the domain, the design, even the layout and tab titles, the viewer should be able to tell immediately what they are looking at, or, if you make them investigate further, it needs to be intriguing enough to encourage them to do so].

4) Navigation Should Be Simple and Clear
[Along with having a clear site goal, once someone is interested and trying to click around, the process should be clear and easy to figure out. The links should make sense and be labeled logically and the layout should be organized]. 

5) Don't Forget the Content
[While the design is paramount, it is crucial not to overlook the content of the page. Once you get the viewer interested enough to continue browsing your site, you better have content there that is worthwhile. This also embodies the strategic placement of the content. If there is a page that is very long and a bit overwhelming, dividing the information into two separate pages would be a good idea].

6) Check the Site for Errors
[This ties in with content a bit because if everything looks great and sounds great but there are some typos or poor grammar, your credibility could be tarnished. Errors could also be in the form of a broken link or images that don't show up correctly, both of which are unprofessional and frustrating for the viewer].

7) Your Reader is Not an Idiot
[This rule is slightly less significant, but important nonetheless. If someone has found your site and is navigating through it, they probably understand the concept of links and how to follow them. It is unnecessary to tell them to "click here"].

8) Simplicity is Good
[There is a balance to be found between having a page that is embarrassingly sparse and one that is far too crammed with content that it grows confusing. A clean look is the reason people keep returning to Craigslist and Google, where the navigation is simple and quick. Additionally, this will ensure that your pages can load faster, which would be appreciated by your reader].

9) Make Use of the Full Browser Window
[I am not familiar with the process of how to control the resolution and take into account the varying sizes of screens, however, it does seem like an issue to be considered. If you pull up a webpage that only fills 1/10 of your screen it would look somewhat silly and empty. Additionally, if you had to scroll horizontally as well as vertically to see everything, that would also become very annoying].


10) Don't Put Animation in the Way of Your Content
[While some animation and effects can really give your site that intriguing factor, it loses this power when it compromises the content and the viewer's ability to read it. For instance, flash ads near where the viewer is reading would be very distracting and probably cause a headache].








Bibliography:

10 web design rules that you can break. (2010, June 17). Retrieved from http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/06/10-web-design-rules-that-you-can-break/

Sharpened, P. (n.d.). 10 rules of web site design. Retrieved from http://www.sharpened.com/web/about/rules.html


Wilson, D. (n.d.). Rules of thumb for web design. Retrieved from http://www.firelily.com/opinions/thumb.html