Let me start by saying that I'm a diehard Washington Redskins fan. I know, I know... I still am. But although I love the Redskins with my heart and my soul, I really hate their website. Originally I just thought it was that I was ADD, but this class has made me realize there's just far too much going on in this design. Although I appreciate the energy, the site is cluttered and distracting, and I think the setup was inspired by Rolling Stones sell lines. Now in their defense, there's definitely some visual hierarchy. The picture across the middle is clearly the dominant because of it's size, but even that is confusing because that main section of the grid is used up by 8 different photos/article links that scroll through. (The pause button never works for me either, which compounds the problem.) It makes sense for this to be the biggest section because it is an immediately updated section. Fans who visit regularly know that within minutes of a major event or issue, one of the impossible-to-isolate scrolling tabs will be addressing it. After looking through the main section though, it's hard to tell where to look next. The Features section is where I eventually look because it's under the scrolling pictures and the next largest container, but it takes some visual sifting for me to get there. One thing that really confuses me visually is that the advertisements are so prominent. I think it would be wise to have a separate site or link for actual sports updates than for buying paraphernalia and tickets and such. Also some of the ads blink which makes reading anything without being distracted completely impossible for me. I love the energy and spirit of the site, but I think it needs to be all spread out more and simplified so that people will take the time to navigate the site.
I think I've made it pretty clear that I love the Redskins, and am therefore willing to navigate this dizzying site to get my information, but while we're signing Donovan McNabb and Trent Williams, I'd suggest drafting a new web designer.
