NAVIGATION:
Is it easy to navigate or difficult?
It is easy.
How are you led through the site?
There is a more traditional layout style, but the effects on the text and images is what makes this site interesting.
What visual clues are given to tell you how to interact?
Things change colors, make sounds, and change form when you mouse-over them.
Does the designer use a metaphors to get you to move through the website?
Yes
What Kind of metaphors are used? Organizational Metaphors = (organized by type, kind etc…); Functional Metaphors = performs a “real world” function (in Photoshop you can figuratively “cut” and “paste”) or Visual Metaphors (common graphic elements familiar to
most – the traditional “play”, “fast-forward”, “rewind” buttons found on CD players)
There are forward and back buttons.
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE:
Does the information in the site make sense?
This layout is very clear and everything has a flow that makes sense and makes the information make sense.
Can you access the content you want easily?
Yes, and it’s easy to find your back and forth through the menus. The constant upper menu bar is very helpful and makes me feel grounded in the site.
How is the content organized? (By location, alphabet, timeline, category, etc? )
It’s organized in a kind of “getting to know us” way. What I mean is there’s the main page, “about us,” then “our work,” then other details, and finally “contact us.” I would say that it’s organized by importance of information as well.
Is there visual and content hierarchy that allows you to easily understand and access the information presented to you?
The text size and color is a big indicator.
USABILITY
Is this site easy to use?
Yes, it is very easy.
How do the above two concepts, navigation and information architecture, work in terms of making the site usable or not?
The formal layout based on putting the most pertinent information first really creates an easy flow. Once key element in creating that ease within the viewer is the upper menu bar that stays constant. This gives you a kind of bread crumb trail to know where you are and where you can go.
Do the metaphors make sense with the content?
Yes, what little metaphors there are make sense and don’t clutter.
Overall- does the site sustain your interest and engagement?
Yes it does. There is enough variety yet predictability to make me engaged and not feel overwhelmed.
MEANING-MAKING: (Narrative and Metaphoric Structures)
In what way is the designer creating meaning in this site?
There’s really just a file-flow like system such as the one in your computer. One menu leads to a submenu, which leads to content. There really isn’t a detailed overall meaning.
Are they using metaphor? (Remember, metaphor is very common in our experience with computers, sometimes so common we don’t even realize we are using it, i.e. the desktop, cutting and pasting, file systems, buttons, etc.).
There’s the file flow, then there are forward and back buttons.
Is there a narrative, story or event that unfolds over time?
No, most things are just information.
Is this narrative linear, non-linear, or multi-linear?
I don’t think there is a narrative.
REFLECTION OF THE USER:
Is there a reflection of you, as the user, on this site?
No.
Does it change according to your specific visit?
No.
Do you receive mouse feedback? text feedback?
There is a great deal of mouse feedback. The text colors change when you mouse over them, and the text rotates around to reveal that other color. There are also sounds when you mouse over text. Images revolve, drop down menus pop up, etc.
Does the site store any choices you have made?
No.
Are you engaged enough in the site to linger and explore.
Yes.
TRANSPERANCY OF DESIGN:
Does the design of the site lead you to pay more attention to the content or to the design itself?
The clear design definitely makes the content take the spotlight. Though the design is engaging, it’s not over the top so much that I ignore the content. There’s a nice balance.
Does the design feel transparent or “natural”, leading you to focus on the content and forget the design completely?
Yes.
Or – Is attention called more to the design itself?
No.
Does the transparency or lack of transparency of the design make sense with what the site is intending to do?
Yes, it seems very professional and it lets the impressive content speak for itself.
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