http://homestarrunner.com/
1) The site was powered by Adobe Flash up until recently, and still uses the same layout and functions it did while it still ran under Flash. This gives the site a relatively unique and simple layout while still providing a lot of detail (such as the rollover actions on the nav bar on the main page). Scrolling isn't utilized on this site since everything is contained in a neat little box, and it gives it an easy-to-use impression.
2) Like I said before, HomestarRunner has a relatively simple layout. It's also nice how they make a point of putting links to all of the updates in a rotating button on the top right corner of the main page. It's easy to learn if they've posted new content, while keeping it fun, creative, and simple.
3) Honestly, the design and usability aren't what keeps bringing me back. It's the hilarious cartoons on the site, even if they haven't updated in years. Almost everything on the site is identical to how it was at the site's peak of popularity in 2006.
4) It would be nice if they included a search engine to more efficiently find your way around. With so many cartoons and pages, it can get daunting to try to find a specific cartoon if you don't know the title of it. Even if you do know the title, you still have to figure out witch category that cartoon will be listed in, and that can be hard to find as well.
http://www.cracked.com/
1) The most effective part of this site is the way they make it easy to navigate the hundreds of articles on the site. They utilize a search engine, and categorize their content by type and subject. It would be nice if HomestarRunner had a system like this.
2) Cracked has kind of a laid-back feel, while it retains its comedic and snarky side. The color scheme is very nice and easy on the eyes, and they post the new content in a large feature box on the main page.
3) Much like Homestarrunner, I don't visit Cracked for their usability. In fact, I mainly use their app and mobile site to read their articles, and even then, I experience a few problems. My main reason for coming back is the comedy present in their articles, videos, and slideshows. Often, I learn very interesting historical and scientific facts from this site. That's enough to keep me coming back.
4) Cracked is often criticized for having too many ads cluttering their site. This is especially true on the mobile site, where it often becomes so bad that it becomes impossible to navigate, and the site will slow to a crawl.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Friday, September 23, 2016
Week 3a: Aesthetic, Design, and Branding
Allow me to start off by saying that the first few websites listed are a graphic designer's nightmare. Now that I've got that of my chest, let's get started:
1) http://www.exmouth-view.co.uk/
Right off the bat, I see problems everywhere. The first thing I notice are the broken image links along the left side and under the main image. This looks entirely tacky, and suggests one of two things:
1) they don't look at their own website at all and are unaware of the broken links, or 2) the coding was done by some other person and the owners never kept in contact with them or never learned to code themselves. Since I see that they update regularly (what with the last updated memo on the bottom left) and they even thanked a website that features awful websites for the free publicity, it's clear that they never bothered to update or redesign simply due to the fact that they would get taken off of that "awful websites" page and lose their curious online traffic. But I digress.
The second thing I notice is the scrolling text along the top. Most people look at something for an average of 8 seconds before moving on to the next thing, and people aren't going to want to spend that 8 seconds waiting for the scroll to restart so they know the name of the hotel. Not only that, but you can't even see the whole text at once. Instead, you have to sit there and wait forever to see the rest of the necessary information. A simple, static line of text would do a much better job at grabbing attention, as well as be more practical to read.
Ignoring smaller design errors, such as the red font, the vertical page layout, and the great deal of empty space at the bottom of the page, I noticed that none of the pages linked to on the home page ("Torquey", "Daily Menu", "Local Attractions", etc.) share a common layout. They all have different margins, and use different headers. The Christmas page bombards you with .gifs and even more broken image links. This whole website could use a serious overhaul. But, at least the owners seem like good sports about it.
2) http://spotmetering.com/
I'll give them this: All the information on the home page is centered. +1 point. Also, the .gif at the top of the home page, while a little outdated, isn't too distracting and matches the background nicely.
This is where the good things end.
Instead of having a nice, clean home page that neatly lays out important links and exudes an overall welcoming feeling, this home page bombards you with information. It's extremely overwhelming. Big blocks of text are impossible to focus on, and in this case, the text is constantly changing color, size, and style, making it even more obnoxious. On top of that, there are no jump links to easily direct you to a certain spot on the page. If you want to know about one thing, then you have to scroll through all this obnoxious text to find what you need to know. At first, I thought the links along the top acted as jump links, but they instead lead to different pages. Good lord, who was I to suggest that the world doesn't need this much information about spot metering? What a fool I was!
In fact, this site, while clearly meant for photographers, could seriously benefit from a more welcoming language. The jargon on this page is impossible for the average person to follow, which means that this website is likely to only attract that small niche of people who care about spot metering, while driving away those who might gain an interest but aren't yet at that level.
Finally, there are WAAAAY too many links on this website. There are tables and tables of links leading to outside websites, like Nikon and Canon. Nobody is going to want to constantly click back and forth when doing research. A smart website might say "For more information on spot metering with Nikon cameras", visit Nikon.com", or maybe even lead to another page that solely focuses on that.
Meanwhile, let's focus on two websites and what they do right.
1) http://www.headhunterhairstyling.com/
This is a very aesthetically pleasing website. A large part of that is the choice of color (a light yellow and turquoise) as well as the slideshow that greets you on the home page. The links are easy to find and not overwhelming (Some of the poorer websites had far too many links and added to a sense of confusion) and their social media is clearly listed on the bottom left. In this case, less is more, and a lot of those other sites don't seem to understand that. Lastly, all of the connecting pages have a similar layout, and it's very easy to follow. Everything is clearly labeled, and you can find your way around without a lot of scrolling.
2) http://www.apple.com/
Apple's brand has always been chic, clean, and shiny, and their website definitely reflects that. HD pictures of their products suggest that everything they do is cutting edge and new, and little taglines like "This is 7", referring to iphone 7 says that they don't necessarily feel that they need to "sell" it. Instead, they can just point out "what you see is what you get", implying that anyone will want to buy it because it's new. Confidence in a website or product speaks volumes, even when there's little content.
Apple has little boxes under the featured item, showcasing other new products that maybe aren't as newsworthy. All of the news is presented very cleanly with pictures that lead to new pages. It's also worth noting that a website with a single color scheme is far more pleasant to look at than one that can't make up its mind about what color each font should be. In Apple's case, their color scheme is white, grey, and black, with tiny splashes of color in their pictures. This is a very chic look, and should be applauded.
***
I think that branding on a website is extremely important, not just for marketing purposes, but also referring to confidence in the product. When I said "less is more" earlier, what I mean is that a website with less content on the home page feels like they can get their brand across with pictures, a nice layout, and some text, but not too much text. It's a simple trick, but extremely effective. Meanwhile, when a page is just bombarding you with information, pictures, text, .gifs, and a colored background, it's almost as though the people behind the page have no confidence and instead are choosing to distract you with walls of text and colorful .gifs.
1) http://www.exmouth-view.co.uk/
Right off the bat, I see problems everywhere. The first thing I notice are the broken image links along the left side and under the main image. This looks entirely tacky, and suggests one of two things:
1) they don't look at their own website at all and are unaware of the broken links, or 2) the coding was done by some other person and the owners never kept in contact with them or never learned to code themselves. Since I see that they update regularly (what with the last updated memo on the bottom left) and they even thanked a website that features awful websites for the free publicity, it's clear that they never bothered to update or redesign simply due to the fact that they would get taken off of that "awful websites" page and lose their curious online traffic. But I digress.
The second thing I notice is the scrolling text along the top. Most people look at something for an average of 8 seconds before moving on to the next thing, and people aren't going to want to spend that 8 seconds waiting for the scroll to restart so they know the name of the hotel. Not only that, but you can't even see the whole text at once. Instead, you have to sit there and wait forever to see the rest of the necessary information. A simple, static line of text would do a much better job at grabbing attention, as well as be more practical to read.
Ignoring smaller design errors, such as the red font, the vertical page layout, and the great deal of empty space at the bottom of the page, I noticed that none of the pages linked to on the home page ("Torquey", "Daily Menu", "Local Attractions", etc.) share a common layout. They all have different margins, and use different headers. The Christmas page bombards you with .gifs and even more broken image links. This whole website could use a serious overhaul. But, at least the owners seem like good sports about it.
2) http://spotmetering.com/
I'll give them this: All the information on the home page is centered. +1 point. Also, the .gif at the top of the home page, while a little outdated, isn't too distracting and matches the background nicely.
This is where the good things end.
Instead of having a nice, clean home page that neatly lays out important links and exudes an overall welcoming feeling, this home page bombards you with information. It's extremely overwhelming. Big blocks of text are impossible to focus on, and in this case, the text is constantly changing color, size, and style, making it even more obnoxious. On top of that, there are no jump links to easily direct you to a certain spot on the page. If you want to know about one thing, then you have to scroll through all this obnoxious text to find what you need to know. At first, I thought the links along the top acted as jump links, but they instead lead to different pages. Good lord, who was I to suggest that the world doesn't need this much information about spot metering? What a fool I was!
In fact, this site, while clearly meant for photographers, could seriously benefit from a more welcoming language. The jargon on this page is impossible for the average person to follow, which means that this website is likely to only attract that small niche of people who care about spot metering, while driving away those who might gain an interest but aren't yet at that level.
Finally, there are WAAAAY too many links on this website. There are tables and tables of links leading to outside websites, like Nikon and Canon. Nobody is going to want to constantly click back and forth when doing research. A smart website might say "For more information on spot metering with Nikon cameras", visit Nikon.com", or maybe even lead to another page that solely focuses on that.
Meanwhile, let's focus on two websites and what they do right.
1) http://www.headhunterhairstyling.com/
This is a very aesthetically pleasing website. A large part of that is the choice of color (a light yellow and turquoise) as well as the slideshow that greets you on the home page. The links are easy to find and not overwhelming (Some of the poorer websites had far too many links and added to a sense of confusion) and their social media is clearly listed on the bottom left. In this case, less is more, and a lot of those other sites don't seem to understand that. Lastly, all of the connecting pages have a similar layout, and it's very easy to follow. Everything is clearly labeled, and you can find your way around without a lot of scrolling.
2) http://www.apple.com/
Apple's brand has always been chic, clean, and shiny, and their website definitely reflects that. HD pictures of their products suggest that everything they do is cutting edge and new, and little taglines like "This is 7", referring to iphone 7 says that they don't necessarily feel that they need to "sell" it. Instead, they can just point out "what you see is what you get", implying that anyone will want to buy it because it's new. Confidence in a website or product speaks volumes, even when there's little content.
Apple has little boxes under the featured item, showcasing other new products that maybe aren't as newsworthy. All of the news is presented very cleanly with pictures that lead to new pages. It's also worth noting that a website with a single color scheme is far more pleasant to look at than one that can't make up its mind about what color each font should be. In Apple's case, their color scheme is white, grey, and black, with tiny splashes of color in their pictures. This is a very chic look, and should be applauded.
***
I think that branding on a website is extremely important, not just for marketing purposes, but also referring to confidence in the product. When I said "less is more" earlier, what I mean is that a website with less content on the home page feels like they can get their brand across with pictures, a nice layout, and some text, but not too much text. It's a simple trick, but extremely effective. Meanwhile, when a page is just bombarding you with information, pictures, text, .gifs, and a colored background, it's almost as though the people behind the page have no confidence and instead are choosing to distract you with walls of text and colorful .gifs.
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Week 2b: Five Businesses on Social Media
1. Denny's
a. https://www.dennys.com/
b. Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Linkdin
c. All the social media links link to the correct pages, and all appear to be updated and maintained regularly.
d. Tumblr - 9/17/16 | Instagram - 9/16/16 | Twitter - 9/17/16 | Facebook - 9/13/16 | Youtube - 9/13/16 | Linkdin - 9/14/16
e. Denny's is very unique as far as social media goes. Their presence on Tumblr in particular borders on surreal, with lots of strange postings, riddles, and a bizarre sense of humor. This personality is also present on Twitter as well as Instagram, but doesn't extend to Facebook, Linkdin, or Youtube. This might be because younger people use the former three platforms, while the latter are seen as more professional.
2. Petco
a. http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore
b. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest
c. All the social media links link to the correct pages, and all appear to be updated and maintained regularly.
d. Facebook - 9/18/16 | Twitter - 9/18/16 | Youtube - 9/7/16 | Google+ - 9/18/16 | Instagram - 9/18/16
e. The tone that Petco employs across all of its social media is very consistent, celebrating the relationships between pets and their owners and the benefits of pets and nature. The content posted on each platform is very cheery, bright, and optimistic.
3. Disneyland
a. https://disneyland.disney.go.com/
b. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
c. All the social media links link to the correct pages, and all appear to be updated and maintained regularly.
d. Facebook - 9/18/16 | Twitter - 9/18/16 | Instagram - 9/15/16 | Youtube - 9/17/16
e. Disneyland always does a great job with their social media, appealing to all demographics; children, parents, theme park fans, foodies, and fashionistas. Disney spends a lot of time promoting their exclusive events and other investments (the cruise lines, the movies, etc.), but when an opportunity to collaborate comes along, they'll do business with smaller groups that fit in well with the brand (i.e., Disneybounding).
4. Target
a. http://www.target.com/
b. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube
c. All the social media links link to the correct pages, and all appear to be updated and maintained regularly.
d. Facebook - 9/15/16 | Twitter - 9/15/16 | Instagram - 9/15/16 | Youtube - 9/14/16
e. It appears as though Target takes the lazy route when it comes to posting on social media. While they do post regularly, and it's clear they write their posts well, it's always the same post, just reformatted for Twitter, or Facebook, or whatever. I think an important part of social media is mixing it up as far as content goes. If you post the same content on Twitter that you do on Facebook, there's no reason for your Facebook followers to follow you on Twitter, or visa versa.
5. Applebee's
a. http://www.applebees.com/#modal
b. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube
c. All the social media links link to the correct pages, and all appear to be updated and maintained regularly.
d. Facebook - 9/18/16 | Instagram - 9/18/16 | Twitter - 9/18/16 | Youtube - 9/8/16
e. Not much to say about Applebees. The social media pages are all nicely maintained, and looking at it made me hungry. One thing that sticks out is that on Twitter, they retweeted a lot of posts that customers have made about Applebees, whether it be a bit of praise or a picture of their dinner. I think this shows a great amount of confidence in their food and their brand. No need to create their own posts about how great their food is; just show them what their customers are saying.
a. https://www.dennys.com/
b. Tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Linkdin
c. All the social media links link to the correct pages, and all appear to be updated and maintained regularly.
d. Tumblr - 9/17/16 | Instagram - 9/16/16 | Twitter - 9/17/16 | Facebook - 9/13/16 | Youtube - 9/13/16 | Linkdin - 9/14/16
e. Denny's is very unique as far as social media goes. Their presence on Tumblr in particular borders on surreal, with lots of strange postings, riddles, and a bizarre sense of humor. This personality is also present on Twitter as well as Instagram, but doesn't extend to Facebook, Linkdin, or Youtube. This might be because younger people use the former three platforms, while the latter are seen as more professional.
2. Petco
a. http://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore
b. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest
c. All the social media links link to the correct pages, and all appear to be updated and maintained regularly.
d. Facebook - 9/18/16 | Twitter - 9/18/16 | Youtube - 9/7/16 | Google+ - 9/18/16 | Instagram - 9/18/16
e. The tone that Petco employs across all of its social media is very consistent, celebrating the relationships between pets and their owners and the benefits of pets and nature. The content posted on each platform is very cheery, bright, and optimistic.
3. Disneyland
a. https://disneyland.disney.go.com/
b. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube
c. All the social media links link to the correct pages, and all appear to be updated and maintained regularly.
d. Facebook - 9/18/16 | Twitter - 9/18/16 | Instagram - 9/15/16 | Youtube - 9/17/16
e. Disneyland always does a great job with their social media, appealing to all demographics; children, parents, theme park fans, foodies, and fashionistas. Disney spends a lot of time promoting their exclusive events and other investments (the cruise lines, the movies, etc.), but when an opportunity to collaborate comes along, they'll do business with smaller groups that fit in well with the brand (i.e., Disneybounding).
4. Target
a. http://www.target.com/
b. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube
c. All the social media links link to the correct pages, and all appear to be updated and maintained regularly.
d. Facebook - 9/15/16 | Twitter - 9/15/16 | Instagram - 9/15/16 | Youtube - 9/14/16
e. It appears as though Target takes the lazy route when it comes to posting on social media. While they do post regularly, and it's clear they write their posts well, it's always the same post, just reformatted for Twitter, or Facebook, or whatever. I think an important part of social media is mixing it up as far as content goes. If you post the same content on Twitter that you do on Facebook, there's no reason for your Facebook followers to follow you on Twitter, or visa versa.
5. Applebee's
a. http://www.applebees.com/#modal
b. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube
c. All the social media links link to the correct pages, and all appear to be updated and maintained regularly.
d. Facebook - 9/18/16 | Instagram - 9/18/16 | Twitter - 9/18/16 | Youtube - 9/8/16
e. Not much to say about Applebees. The social media pages are all nicely maintained, and looking at it made me hungry. One thing that sticks out is that on Twitter, they retweeted a lot of posts that customers have made about Applebees, whether it be a bit of praise or a picture of their dinner. I think this shows a great amount of confidence in their food and their brand. No need to create their own posts about how great their food is; just show them what their customers are saying.
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Week 2a: Business and Consumer
It's difficult to remember each time I've interacted with a business online. I don't believe I've ever tried to get noticed by a business with a complaint or anything, although I've provided certain feedback while not expecting a response. Some up-and-coming and moderately sized businesses seem very committed to providing information and help on social media to those who need it, but in general, I don't think social media is the best place to get noticed by a business. If anything, it simply helps you get drowned out by the thousands of other people commenting and posting on the same page.
Personally, I've never had an interaction with a business that really stands out, but I do know of people who have made a silly comment towards a business only to get a surprise from the business. The following exchange between cartoon-maker Alex Hirsch and Arby's comes to mind:
If I were running my own business's social media page, I would respond to all comments graciously and in a timely manner. I would thank all positive comments, and apologize to all negative comments or criticisms, and provide steps that that person could take to really make themselves heard by the business at large.
Personally, I've never had an interaction with a business that really stands out, but I do know of people who have made a silly comment towards a business only to get a surprise from the business. The following exchange between cartoon-maker Alex Hirsch and Arby's comes to mind:
If I were running my own business's social media page, I would respond to all comments graciously and in a timely manner. I would thank all positive comments, and apologize to all negative comments or criticisms, and provide steps that that person could take to really make themselves heard by the business at large.
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Week 1b: Business and Personal Use of Social Media
Social media is a funny thing in that there's not much separating business-oriented profiles from personal ones. Facebook may seem like a very personal platform, but if you remove any form of individual identity from the content, it can become more promotional and business-oriented. In order to keep that separation intact, one must be sure to never hint at the person behind the page.
For example, the various MiraCosta social media pages are all run by two people. Can you name either of these people? More so, can you differentiate between the two writing styles and tell which is which? Can you tell if the people who run the page are male or female? If you can, that's a sign that too much individuality is coming through, and it distracts from the identity of the college. A good social media page should make you feel as though the business as a whole is talking to you, rather than just a representative. The most successful companies on social media make you feel as though the business has its own personality; it jokes with its followers, it apologizes when things go wrong, it celebrates promotions and events. This should all be seen as genuine, and not as a marketing tool designed to manipulate.
In conclusion, there really are no platforms specifically for personal or business use. It all depends on how well the social media representatives can hide their identity and take on the persona of the business as a whole.
For example, the various MiraCosta social media pages are all run by two people. Can you name either of these people? More so, can you differentiate between the two writing styles and tell which is which? Can you tell if the people who run the page are male or female? If you can, that's a sign that too much individuality is coming through, and it distracts from the identity of the college. A good social media page should make you feel as though the business as a whole is talking to you, rather than just a representative. The most successful companies on social media make you feel as though the business has its own personality; it jokes with its followers, it apologizes when things go wrong, it celebrates promotions and events. This should all be seen as genuine, and not as a marketing tool designed to manipulate.
In conclusion, there really are no platforms specifically for personal or business use. It all depends on how well the social media representatives can hide their identity and take on the persona of the business as a whole.
Week 1a: My template
I chose this template because it's a striking yet calming design. The colors work really well together, and although it doesn't much fit the overall tone of my posts, I believe that people will be drawn to it. It's uniqueness almost gives the impression that I designed and coded it myself. While that's not true, it might make me, the author appear more savvy and skilled than someone who chose a basic-looking template.
I also like that the style on this template also applies to the comments section. I don't know if it's included on the other templates, but the "About Me" section is a nice touch. Basically, if you found an individual blog post of mine on a Google search, all the relevant information is presented to you right off the bat, and that can be very appealing to people who find the blog on accident.
I also like that the style on this template also applies to the comments section. I don't know if it's included on the other templates, but the "About Me" section is a nice touch. Basically, if you found an individual blog post of mine on a Google search, all the relevant information is presented to you right off the bat, and that can be very appealing to people who find the blog on accident.
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