Some Flexible Criteria for Good, Bad, and User-Unfriendly
Web Sites
These characteristics were developed through student analysis. They are not meant
as strict rules, but rather as some general tactics for approaching design. They
of course can be broken effectively on certain occasions.
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Characteristics
of a "Good" Web Site:
Overall
- simplicity
- professionalism
- automatic re-sizing when browser window changes size
- availability of an "About Us" link
or section, clarity about site's purpose
- a coordinated color scheme that is
used to provide consistency and coherence to the site's
overall
design
- the appearance of a lot of available content without
overwhelming users
- bright colors without being obnoxious
- use of the date provides a sense that the site is maintained
and that the content is fresh
Layout
- initial visual impact does not require scrolling
- organized
- use of white space to separate images and text
Images
- clean graphics (no fuzzy edges or
pixelated content)
- interesting, original artwork (no generic or overused
clipart)
- high quality images
- appropriate use of images so that they are well-placed,
small, and don't cause pages to take too long to download
- use of stills from movies as images encourages users
to want to watch clips or trailers
Text
- broken up into short, easy-to-read
chunks
- not too big and not too small
- good contrast with background color
Navigation
- main site links are always available
- all links work
- links named in a way that makes their content self-explanatory
- anchor links for returning to top of text-heavy pages
- rollover or mouseover links change colors to indicate
they are active
Organization
- availability of a good search feature
- use of pop-up windows to provide additional, related
information without distracting users from the primary
purpose of a site.
Interactivity
- contains content that encourages
exploration to discover new titles, unique films, or other
specialized subject
matter through the use of media clips
Special Features
- skip button for Flash intro
- use of narrative stories to help users relate to site's
content
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Characteristics
of a "Bad" Web Site:
Overall
- flashing or auto-scrolling text
- hit counters
- address re-directs or address loops
that keep you in the same site
- broken links
- no information overload on the opening page of site
- lots of ads make site feel unprofessional and cheap
- slow download time, even over a fast ethernet connection
- sites that are made exclusively for an audience that
is already "in the know" about a subject
- colors that are drab or colors that are too flashy
Layout
- web pages designed to look like newspapers
- cluttered and busy
Images
- canned background tiled images
- huge logos that go off the page on the bottom or sides
even at high resolution
- low quality clip-art graphics
Text
- too much text
- text too small to read
- not enough contrast with background
- needs some variety in fonts (but not too much)
Navigation
- error messages when you click on
links or try to use content such as viewing messages posted
- sites that don't include their own navigation but instead
rely on browser buttons for site visitors to move between
pages
- appearing to have some kind of justification
or rationalization for have the site is organized and linked
Organization
- putting most important information at the bottom left
where it might not be seen by viewers/users
Special Features
- Flash animations you can't skip
- pop-ups (both ads and site announcements)
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