In Chapter 1 Krug states that a website works if it does not make a person think. A web site should be self-explanatory and self-evident, or at least self-explanatory.
Preterist archive’s website is an example of bad website design. Click here to view www.preteristarchive.com. Like Krug says when it comes to text it should be cut in half and then cut in half again and that is one thing this site needs. If there was less text there would be less that catches our eye and confuses us from what we are trying to find on the site. It was hard to realize where the links to the different pages were. After looking through all the text organized right next to each other without any working hierarchy, I finally saw that what I thought was a just a sentence were the tabs. This site is anything but self-evident.
Hierarchy & Importance
The more important something is the more prominent it needs to be on the site. Text that is larger, bolder, in distinctive color, set off by more white space, and/or the nearer to the top it is all helps in creating importance to text. Also, related things are also logically related visually like how tabs are grouped together maybe under a heading in a clearly defined area. And things are visually nested as to show what is part of what.
An example of bad web design of information architecture is Head Hunter Hair Styling’s site. Click here to visit http://www.headhunterhairstyling.com. There is not great hierarchy going on and especially on the services and prices tabs the text has no hierarchy or indication of importance. The text is just the same scale and has no change throughout this page.
An example of good web design is with good information architecture is Team Geek’s site. Click here to view http://www.teamgeek.co.za. Overall the website is unique and still easy to navigate with its successful use of text and visual hierarchy throughout.
Conventions
Some conventions I would be interested in using is having a clean and simple website with the links being either on top centered with the logo or the left hand side.
Click here to see http://www.pamartgallery.com. This site has the links on the upper right and it is simply black text which is what I am thinking of doing, or possibly a turquoise that would match my logo if I keep my current logo.
Another inspiring site with a unique design is http://thisisdk.com. CLick here to view it. I do not think this layout would work for an illustrator but I still find it very intriguing the way you can jump down the page by pressing an arrow or if you scroll down it jumps down the page. There are sections on the opening page that all have different topics and links that go into more detail. The design is very modern and clean.
Melanie Kosuge’s site also has a clean and modern design. Click here to view www.melaniekosuge.com. Her links are on the top right with black text on a white background.
