No joke --- If you have poor website design, I am less likely to return!

As we started talking about website design on Tuesday, I immediately thought of my job this summer; as an intern at a broadcast consulting agency, it was my job to go to stations' websites and finds video clips to digitize and investigative story ideas. While it was kind of fun to surf around the web and see what stations were doing around the country, I quickly came to a conclusion. On many websites, it was impossible to find the link to videos! Often, it would be hidden in page after page. But with time constraints on me, I couldn't always waste time searching for the video - I needed it fast. After all, broadcast stations BROADCAST video on TV. Shouldn't it be easy to find this video on their websites? I quickly found which sites to ignore and which sites I could trust to help me in my task. What did this all boil down to? GOOD DESIGN! These clips would be digitized and send to our clients across the country, but if I couldn't find your clips, you missed out a great marketing technique. Without efficient and "CRAP" design, these news stations missed out!

In reading the excerpts from "How to Recognize Good and Bad Design," I found one statement I particularly agreed with. DON'T MAKE ME SCROLL FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. My usage of computers has always taught me to scroll up to down, and I may miss out on vital information if you make your website scroll sideways as well. I agree with what Daryl said in her post about her 4802 website being amateur. Mine definitely was as well! I would like to get better with my use of design, but there is one especially nice thing about living in 2008 - there are professionals that companies can hire out to assist them in making professional design. I know my design wasn't professional, but maybe I could hire someone out for a better grade . . . ? Just kidding.


While I agree simple design is almost better (for navigation reasons) and following CRAP is important, I will always love the in depth design of Newsmap (http://www.marumushi.com/apps/newsmap/newsmap.cfm). Each story is sized based on it's importance and color coded based on what topic it falls under. Clicking on a story links you to another page, and I love their use of color. (I am a color fanatic!) Viewers can even change the layout from "squarified" to standard. I just love the interactiveness of the website, I always go back because it is easy to understand.

That's the key - do you want Kate Chizek to look at your website? Then make it easy to understand, easy to find what I am looking for, and a little bit colorful. It will keep me coming back!