The usability of the website is its main attribute. The home page is quite large, and includes alot more visual elements than that of a CNN.com website. I think this is a positive, because while some may argue that scrolling down the page is a hassle (thus the small minimized cnn website) i find the larger text and the one image per story ratio to make for a much more compelling read. If however scrolling down the page IS too much trouble, there is a banner at the top of the home page ranging from 'world', 'national' to 'travel' and 'entertainment' sections which can directly link you to these sections.
Underneath this banner are the top stories. With the latest feature story occupying a large picture with a caption and headline underneath. The best thing about SMH is that the website is always set up so that you know exactly what section of their website you are in, and just as importantly, where you can go from here. This usability also means including the SMH logo at the top of every page so that if you wish to return to the homepage you can at any point in time.
What i find effective is under the top stories a horizontal bar of thumbnails with small captions which rotate and give the reader the opportunity to be presented various interesting stories and the ability to link directly to these stories. Like alot of other websites nowadays, each story clicked on also displays links to related coverage.
The design works as a whole. I think this element is very important for a news website, otherwise it can look cluttered and unorganized. The entire page follows the one 'structured grid design' and for this makes it a more familiar place to return for users.
No comments:
Post a Comment