Beta NMD Site
Goals:
The NMD website should demonstrate the site users the importance of New Media and what NMD students are accomplishing here. The site should be easy to navigate with access to information about the major for prospective students
Audience:
– New media students
– Prospective New Media Students
– Professors
– Parents of students
Strengths:
– Font/Font size is easy to read
– Clean layout
– Nice color scheme
– Pictures demonstrate use of IMRC facilities and resources
Weaknesses:
– Tabs are redundant (Events/Calendar should be one)
– Pictures in gallery are different sizes
– There is no information in the “Groups” tab
– “IMRC Center” tab should state what IMRC stands for within the first two sentences
– IMRC pictures could use a slideshow of the inside facilities.
– Recourses tab is unorganized and visually unappealing
Current NMD site
Audience:
– New media students
– Prospective New Media Students
– Professors
– Parents of students
– Visiting artists
Strengths:
– Contains information about New Media student’s involvement with the school and society
– List of faculty members is helpful for contact
– Overview of curriculum is roughly mapped out
– There are tabs linked to the College of LAS site and Umaine home page
Weaknesses:
– Font is too small and difficult to read
– Color scheme is unappealing
– There is too much information given on the home page (makes the user feel overwhelmed)
– Needs more visuals of current New Media activities/and facilities
Examples of good website design:
http://www.fiafo.com
fiafo.com reminded me of the same general idea of the beta site, but their layout makes a lot more sense and is more visually satisfying.
– Menu system is easy to follow
– Simple/appealing design
– Photos are organized in an interesting and sensible way
http://www.kiawahisland.com
kiawahisland.com was very visually pleasing to me.
– Photographs play a big role in this layout which I think is important esp. when presenting New Media visuals to the public.
– Easy to read font
– Keeps site user interested