Sites I Like . . . and Why
(based on form and content concerns)

 

Educational Institutions

Stanford University

  • Effectively conveys institutional identity -- you get an idea of what Stanford looks like.
  • The strong blue of the sky is a good contrast with the stucco and brick buildings.
  • I also like how they have the buildings at the bottom of the page, thus reinforcing the blue as the sky (I've long thought that someone at Carolina should pick up on this idea).
  • Good use of white space and the embossing of the university seal and info on the left is simple and eye-catching.
  • The pages are easy to navigate and well-organized.

Cal Tech

  • Also in California, Cal Tech has the coolest university site I've seen. Again, you get a sense of what the campus looks like, but without seeing boring photographs of the campus.
  • The JavaScript for the table of contents works well without being too attention getting.
  • The blurbs of info on the right provide interesting PR material and change regularly, so it isn't the same-old, same-old.
  • The home page contains good functionality, such as search capability, and a way to customize the home page if you're associated with the institution.
  • The graphics are well designed and provide a nice sculptural look and the colors are easy on the eyes.
  • The second level pages continue with the same graphic identity.
  • But most of all, I adore the animated creatures that appear in random order on the upper left corner of the home page -- an unexpected humorous touch.

 

Magazines

Word

  • Long at the forefront of using interactivity, Word's clever animations load quickly and do what they need to do, often with humor.
  • I've always liked the moving lips of desire.
  • The articles are equally clever, short, and easy to read. There is good harmonization between form and content.
  • Basically the Word designers do a lot of fancy stuff seamlessly and without hitting the user over the head with their expertise. They also avoid the mistake of going over the top, typical of HotWired.

HomeArts

  • Home Arts is among the magazine leaders of trying to do more than shovelware. They bring "added value" and interactivity to pages. If I was the publisher of one of the Hearst magazines, I think I would think that this site encouraged magazine purchases rather than just giving away the content for free.
  • Wonderful interactive features.
  • Good use of banner ads and other methods of encouraging corporate buy-in without turning off the user.

 

To Come:

Media Sites
Government
Nonprofits

 

Wendy Robinson 03/01/98 JOMC 050