Recently we began to learn about what makes websites effective and make people want to come back to it. We will be creating our own web pages soon and we asked to research some effective and ineffective web designs.
The first website I looked at was "MuggleNet".
MuggleNet is a website for Harry Potter fans. I think that it is very easy to catch on to this but I do not think the design of the site is very effective. There are tons of things going on through out the page. This site is not simple enough visually. There is so much text, all squished into one section. There is not a lot of 'white space' between each part causing no breathing room. Users may feel over whelmed trying to find specific information. The navigation key is very easy to find on the left side of the screen but there are so many options it becomes over whelming to find what you are searching for. Users don't want to have to be confused over where they are going through out the site. If they have to spend a long time searching for what they want or sifting through articles they may loose interest and leave.
Look how many navigation options there are. There are so many and within each one there are more search options. This is good for information but this many options could be annoying to search through.
The two good elements of this website that I think draw some users back are the amounts of information that Harry Potter fans may want and the fact that this site has functions that are able to be customized and intractable. Users like to be in control and by being able to do so makes them feel like they are able to control what they do and where they go on the site. On this site polls make the site more personable and interactive and custom backgrounds help personal the site to suit the needs of the user.
The second website I looked at was "Apple".
This site is designed so well. It so simple that it doesn't require much thought to use. You instantly see the navigation at the top, you can tell this Apple as their logo is the first box in the top navigation and you see their most recent product right in the middle of the page. This is a very effective use of making it usable without much thought and efficient use of words and symbols to grasp a user. In fact the few words and symbols on this page are even informative. The apple logo tells you this is Apple and the phrase "Ipad is here" tells users that their latest technology, the ipad, is available and can be purchased here. All this simple elements make users want to come back. There time was not wasted as they probably found it very easy to find what they wanted. Simple layout and use of white space lets the user breathe and not feel overwhelmed. Simplicity is key.
Katelynn
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