Website Navigation Critiques

The first website that I decided to focus on was the official website of one of my favorite musicians, Tori Amos. www.toriamos.com features an easy-to-use, yet unique style of navigation structure. The website features six navigation templates:news, music, tours, photos, press, and store. The navigation panel also includes links to itunes, twitter, facebook, myspace, and last.fm.

As the founder of the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, the site features a link to her organization at the bottom (www.RAINN.org) The structure of the site is very easy to follow laying out a quick preview of each section out on the homepage. The only thing that I saw could improve was that it had no drop-down feature for each template. The homepage was also very lengthy since it pretty much lays out every detail.

The next website that I decided to explore was Starbucks' official website www.starbucks.com. The Starbucks website features a basic overview of their coffee and who they are. It features a basic navigation structure, but unlike the Tori Amos site, it simply features a promotional video along with a panel. The panel includes: coffee, menu, coffeehouse, responsibility, card, and shop. Further down you can explore what is new in the world of Starbucks coffee as well as promotional ads. At the top, there is a search tab which allows the end user to search the site.

Because Starbucks is a corporate company, I understand the conservative use of fonts and color. I enjoy the basic layout. However, there is almost too much text in the drop down menus. The good thing about this site is that within the homepage, the enduser can familiarize themselves quickly and easily. Just like the other site, it also links to social networking with facebook,twitter,and google+.

The next website that I chose to review was www.choosemyplate.com. This is the website linked to the food pyramid. The website is a lot less complex than the other two websites I looked at. The panel features templates including: home, about us, News and Media, Site Help, and Contact Us. A lot could be improved on this website when it comes to layout options. It features a pretty blue background, but it makes eating healthy appear boring.

Using a more lively array of colors would make it pop out to the end-user. Though the colorful plate in the middle adds brightness and draws the user in, it needs to be a more active site. I do like that it features a clipboard including photos of food at the top. All in all, the homepage is informative, but it could definitely use some touch-ups.

Team Byrne

After reading through both of these articles, it ended up that I agreed more with David Byrne's "Learning to Love Powerpoint." Although Edward Tufte does make a persuasive argument in "Powerpoint is Evil," Byrne's article is significantly easier for me to comprehend.

While Tufte claims that Powerpoint "elevates format over content, betraying an attitude of commercialism that turns everything into a sales pitch," Byrne describes how useful it can really be as an art. To me, Tufte makes absolutely no sense when he argues how ridiculous it is to be taught at an elementary age. At one point, Tufte even suggests that kids would be better off if school were closed on Powerpoint presentation days. He then describes how much more constructive writing an "illustrated essay" would be for them.

I completely disagree with Tufte. Even though his argument about Powerpoint being distracting may be true at times, it is an overall decent program for everyone to use. I remember first learning powerpoint at an elementary age and finding it much more fun than just listening to a professor drone on. Being part of a technologically drawn generation, I believe that it is important for children today to learn programs like powerpoint. In the long run, it will help them become technologically advanced. I think it just gives them more of an incite to just how fun and artistic presentations can be.

Byrne states "The content, I learned, was in the medium itself. I discovered that I could attach my photographs, short videos, scanned images, and music. What's more, the application can be made to run by itself -no one even needs to be at the podium. How fantastic! Although I began by making fun of the medium, I soon realized I could actually create things that were beautiful."

photo by: Wonderlane

I agree with Byrne because even though he pokes fun at the program, he still finds it interesting and useful. The article is filled with fun facts about the program and focuses on the idea that it can be used as an "artistic agent" for presentation. To me, this was very clear and convincing.

Therefore, I am on David Byrne's team because it was clearly more interesting to read about Powerpoint as an art as opposed to reading Tufte's complaints.

Website Ideas

In my Computer Mediated Communications class, I have been asked to start brainstorming some ideas for my website. Many topics come to mind. I think that it would be a good idea to make it a Shepherd based site. At first, I was thinking on basing the website on the Shepherd Wellness Center and what they have to offer students and community. This website would include dates of events, classes offered, and information about the facility itself. Even though the center already has its own website, I think that it would be good to have one based off of the students and community.

Many other ideas also come to mind. I am also a huge fan of the Communications Department and was thinking about creating a website specifically for the Comm. Program and developing ideas from that. This site would include lists of events as well as descriptions of the classes offered. It would be really cool to have a website that truly captures the students and faculty of the Comm. Department. We are very much like a family here, so I think that it would be interesting to make a website that is basically about "us." The website could also include updates about Comm. graduates and what they have been up to after graduation. It would also be really exciting to work on with the new studio coming in.

Other things that come to mind include a website about coffee and coffee-drinking. As a college student, I love coffee. Many people don't know much about how many different types of beans there are and where they come from. It would be cool to have a whole website about types of coffees. It could include recipes, information about the different regions the beans come from, and about the coffee-drinking experience itself. Who doesn't love shops like our local Lost Dog Coffee or Port City Java? The website could also focus on the local shops and what they have to offer.

Another idea I had was to create a website featuring day trips. There are so many historic locations around this area and many people don't realize it. The day trip website would include features that show you how to economize your day trip or mini vacation. It would feature tabs like which restaurants to eat at, which hotels to stay at, and which hot spots to check out. Places like Washington D.C. or Ocean City are right nearby and offer so many activities to make your day trip/vacation fun.

There are so many ideas that come to mind, but it is difficult to choose. I'm not very sure which one would work out better, but I am excited to get started. In a few days, my ideas could change. This is what I have for now.