Blog Week Four Post Two

Blog Week Four Post Two: Add the url of two websites you use or visit frequently.

Discuss: 

1.      Why are they effective? 

2.      What specific principles of good design do they include and why?

3.      What makes you come back again?

4.      What could be improved?

https://www.amazon.com/

 The search bar right at the top that auto defaults to searching all categories is very effective.  If the search needs to be narrowed to a specific category that is very simply down with the left sided drop down menu.  The browsing history immediately under the category drop down menu is a useful feature, it allows you to quickly go back to an item after taking detours and shopping around or mulling over the decision to purchase.  The ‘buy it again’ feature on the right side makes it very easy to reorder household items and foodstuffs without having to search at all.  The amazon website makes shopping very convenient and easy, a couple of clicks and shopping is done.  Everything is very clearly laid out, addresses from all previous orders and orders themselves are saved making it very easy to purchase and send gifts for birthdays and holidays and to double check and make sure gifts are not duplicated.

 Amazon has exemplary “ease of use” and “navigation”.  They have a great use of contrast in their design with the white background and clear black and blue writing with judicious use of red for item prices.  Their branding is simple and easy to identify, they also make good use of contrast in their logo.

I think Amazon is pretty perfect and don’t see any gratuitous improvement needs.  They send out notices if something on the wish list goes down in price! 

http://updog-yoga.com/

I look at my own website frequently to make sure that the links are live and to update special events on the homepage and in the workshops.  It is very clear that it is a yoga website providing several special events.  There is good repetition with the navigation bar across all the pages and the social media links are consistent throughout.  The navigation is clearly visible and the website name is in the top left across all pages.  Since the branding is largely me and the yoga services I provide, an improvement could be to add my name, Laura McIntire, to the upper left corner right below the website name, including myself more in the branding.  The logo I had designed and use on my business cards does not feature on the website at all and should be part of it to make the branding consistent across all platforms.

I think there is good use of contrast and variation in picture size.  I think there is some confusion with the hierarchy on the home page since the right-side movie style pictures are for the Cats on Mats event that is listed below the Lavender Fields Yoga and Sound Healing Day Retreat, then the water picture on the left likely doesn't make any sense at all other than to be a pretty picture, it actually goes with the Mount Desert Island, Maine Summer Yoga Retreat.  The alignment and hierarchy can be improved to enhance the user experience.  This is easier said than accomplished by me.

Another improvement could be to add a ‘back to top’ link at the bottom of the pages.  The schedule page in particular needs a complete redesign, it is full of content that requires a thorough read and it does not have ‘ease of use’ although the alignment in current configuration is good.  Good alignment doesn't matter so much if the content isn't user friendly.