Website Design

As our pitch presentation draws closer, Editor Zed has been honing in on exactly what style of web feature we will produce. Our target user group consists of internet-savvy women between 17-65 years old, who are members of the blogosphere or frequenters of social media sites such as facebook and twitter. To keep this group engaged, the aesthetics and functionality of our website are paramount.

Tara previously discussed the importance of 'de-cluttering' our website. Keeping content (including images) clear, minimalistic and relevant is key to producing a site which is easy and enjoyable to use. In the fast-paced online world, the first sign of lagging, circularity or convolution will immediately deter potential users.

Sophistication is the aim. Pages should be linked appropriately with one another, enticing the user to seamlessly transition from one article to the next. Users should always want to consume more information, and not have to search hard to find it. Ultimately, they should feel compelled to actively interact with the site, by posting comments or even submitting their own research articles.

Taking this collaborative attitude means that our site will be continuously accruing content, and the design needs to be sustainable. Thus I have looked to content-heavy websites, such as those used by magazines, as inspiration.

This screenshot of 'Good' Magazine's website shows how a huge amount of information and content can be displayed clearly, even for a first-time visitor. They have incorporated facebook, twitter and tumblr on their landing page, and have shown restraint in their image use. Tabs up the top allow users to quickly navigate to what form of information they are after, while tabs on the side and the search feature, allow users to narrow down the subject area that they are interested in.