Week 4A: Principles of Good Social Media Design
Problem Websites:
1.) http://www.roverp6cars.com/
First and foremost, this site is extremely busy! Three problems right off the bat include the crawling text, the amount of pictures posted and then overall organization. For me, it makes it incredibly difficult to figure out where anything is because I have to scroll slowly through the entire site just to read what's posted.
I think having less tabs on the left side would help. Instead of posting everything category imaginable, post everything under one general category titled "Services" and then other tabs depending on the material. I think it would make it a lot easier to navigate the website and a lot more user friendly. I also think it would serve users better if there wasn't so many pictures. Pictures are fine, but this seems like overload and it's distracting. Perhaps maybe a couple pictures here and there, reflecting the work this service provides would improve the overall aesthetics.
2.) http://gatesnfences.com/
I am immediately overwhelmed when I click on this website. Three obvious problems include the amount of text on the page, the overall layout being congested and the amount of tabs on the left side bar. It looks as though the business just tried to shove everything onto one page and it does not appear user friendly or professional.
Some improvements I would suggest would be to start with less text. The amount of words on the page is way too much so breaking up the text and choosing what you want readers to know most importantly about your product is a good starting point. Secondly, the layout is too congested. Redesign the page so that when users click the website, it's easy to navigate and it flows. Lastly, there's too many tabs on the side. It's great that there's so much different information, but it needs to be condensed so that the user isn't overwhelmed in reading.
Good Websites:
3.) https://www.nps.gov/index.htm
This was kind of a given based on the simple fact it's a government website. The National Parks Service in particular is immediately inviting with the header picture. The layout is simple, clear and easy to navigate for the user. It's organized by subcategories and I think that's a huge plus given how much information there is on National Parks. The design, aesthetics and branding of this website give me a positive reaction because it's user friendly! Everything is organized in such a manner that it doesn't make it difficult for the user to figure out where they can find certain information. It also provides the user with a number of different categories beyond just park information.
4.) https://www.headhunterhairstyling.com/
I really like the simplicity of this website. The webpage itself isn't long which is a plus and everything is categorized under a tab at the top. It's clear, direct and extremely easy to navigate. Given that this is a hair salon, I also appreciate that they post the prices of their services. Some places don't and it's frustrating because it involves another step in the customer calling to find out! I really enjoy the fact that they also have stylists pictures and bio's. That's not something you come across often but it makes it a little more personable. The design, aesthetics and branding are definitely well done. The gallery isn't overloaded with too many pictures, all the contact information is easily accessible and the layout is user friendly.
The biggest takeaway from this assignment for me, is sometimes less is more. The less wording, pictures and links on a page, the better. That's not to say don't include any, but keep it simple. Keep it professional, organized and user friendly so that any customer can find what they're looking for without having to hassle through navigating an overloaded website.
1.) http://www.roverp6cars.com/
First and foremost, this site is extremely busy! Three problems right off the bat include the crawling text, the amount of pictures posted and then overall organization. For me, it makes it incredibly difficult to figure out where anything is because I have to scroll slowly through the entire site just to read what's posted.
I think having less tabs on the left side would help. Instead of posting everything category imaginable, post everything under one general category titled "Services" and then other tabs depending on the material. I think it would make it a lot easier to navigate the website and a lot more user friendly. I also think it would serve users better if there wasn't so many pictures. Pictures are fine, but this seems like overload and it's distracting. Perhaps maybe a couple pictures here and there, reflecting the work this service provides would improve the overall aesthetics.
2.) http://gatesnfences.com/
I am immediately overwhelmed when I click on this website. Three obvious problems include the amount of text on the page, the overall layout being congested and the amount of tabs on the left side bar. It looks as though the business just tried to shove everything onto one page and it does not appear user friendly or professional.
Some improvements I would suggest would be to start with less text. The amount of words on the page is way too much so breaking up the text and choosing what you want readers to know most importantly about your product is a good starting point. Secondly, the layout is too congested. Redesign the page so that when users click the website, it's easy to navigate and it flows. Lastly, there's too many tabs on the side. It's great that there's so much different information, but it needs to be condensed so that the user isn't overwhelmed in reading.
Good Websites:
3.) https://www.nps.gov/index.htm
This was kind of a given based on the simple fact it's a government website. The National Parks Service in particular is immediately inviting with the header picture. The layout is simple, clear and easy to navigate for the user. It's organized by subcategories and I think that's a huge plus given how much information there is on National Parks. The design, aesthetics and branding of this website give me a positive reaction because it's user friendly! Everything is organized in such a manner that it doesn't make it difficult for the user to figure out where they can find certain information. It also provides the user with a number of different categories beyond just park information.
4.) https://www.headhunterhairstyling.com/
I really like the simplicity of this website. The webpage itself isn't long which is a plus and everything is categorized under a tab at the top. It's clear, direct and extremely easy to navigate. Given that this is a hair salon, I also appreciate that they post the prices of their services. Some places don't and it's frustrating because it involves another step in the customer calling to find out! I really enjoy the fact that they also have stylists pictures and bio's. That's not something you come across often but it makes it a little more personable. The design, aesthetics and branding are definitely well done. The gallery isn't overloaded with too many pictures, all the contact information is easily accessible and the layout is user friendly.
The biggest takeaway from this assignment for me, is sometimes less is more. The less wording, pictures and links on a page, the better. That's not to say don't include any, but keep it simple. Keep it professional, organized and user friendly so that any customer can find what they're looking for without having to hassle through navigating an overloaded website.
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