Web design is about functionality. Lupton writes in her chapter “Text” that the internet has contributed to rise of the user, and also the incorporation of theories of user interaction into design. The big question becomes how is information used, not what the information is, and subsequently what can a designer do to make that process easier for the user.
Steve Krug famously penned Don’t Make Me Think, a book for web designers that argues for considering the user of a site when designing. Our evolving tech culture has resulted in shorter attention spans and impatience. If it’s complicated, we just move on...
Krug’s argument isn’t new, but gains new significance when applying user interaction theories to realms like the internet where the passive consumption traditionally associated with print/online was sufficient before. The “audience” is now a “user” of a site - purchasing this here, looking up movie listings there. Sites evolve to fit what users do with them most. To ease their experience with the interface.
Consider Fandango. Most people may claim they never spend any time on the movie site's home page because as soon as it loads, they press submit on the form which already has their zip code auto-filled in. Boom! They get moving listings in there area.
SO, for this week’s blog post, find a site that you use regularly and find easy to navigate and make a transaction on. Don’t use Facebook.com (and using mySlice would be far too IRONIC).
ASSIGNMENT
1. Take a screen shot and
2. Explain how the site makes it easy for you to use it.
Questions to Answer:
How does the placement of certain elements (navbar/login/search) help you get what you want from a site as fast as possible?
What features do you use the most?
Post your jpeg to the blog by 11:59 p.m. Friday.
14 hours ago
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