Site Seeing: Chapter 6

> The elements that you use in your web design need to be presented clearly and dynamically so that your ideas and personality shine through and communicate to your audience.

> The five most common lexicon elements to a site include navigation systems, body text, images, page footers and forms. For Major Project 2 I’ll be focusing on at least three of these elements to enhance the look and feel of the Connecticut Campus Compact web site.

> When you combine these elements you’re able to provide a useful site that contains valuable information and content that will stimulate your audience to interact with each.

> It is important to remember that each element has to communicate to the audience. That means that your elements need to include specific information, be organized and relevant to one another.

> It’s always a good idea to include a footer to your web site. This allows your audience to easily find and contact your information without having them search through the site for the info. This will make it easier for you and them if you leave the important stuff on the bottom of the page.

> When designing the layout of your site you want to remember to keep your navigation clean and simple. An elaborate navigational system can clash with the rest of your site and confuse your audience.

> It’s also a good idea to limit the amount of navigation you include in your site. Too many methods such as a site map, search box and embedded links can overcrowd your site and not allow your audience to get to where they want to go swiftly.

> For the Connecticut Campus Compact site I know that I want to include a calendar, a few embedded links and a navigation system. With these three elements I should allow easy movement for the audience. I also will try not to add more than what’s necessary to the site.

> Text plays a huge role in the layout of your site. You want your body text to have readable font at a decent size and for it to be dynamically placed on the page. The body text should not be too long, but instead short and focused on the content. It also helps to create visual interest when using images along with your text so that your audience can see what you are informing them about.

> An element I won’t be including in the CT Campus Compact site are forms. Forms seem like a complicated system that can mainly be found in corporate sites. I want the CT Campus Compact site to reflect a more personable look and feel that is geared towards students and parents (and mainly not top officials).