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Reminiscent of Era
Minimalistic Design+Detail=Depth
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Symbols
Nearly universal acceptance of The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island as icons of freedom, combined with a minimalistic approach to the use of symbols throughout www.EllisIsland.org, suggest a common bond among an otherwise diverse group of site visitors and users. The Statue of Liberty is recognizable worldwide while Ellis Island symbolizes freedom to a narrower audience comprised primarily of U.S. citizens with ancestors who passed through this port of entry.
Symbols are employed sparingly. A magnifying glass indicates the actions of search and clarification. Triangular arrows are used to direct navigation.
Photographic images, representing not only particular individuals but also patterns in history, add depth.
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Elements
A distinguishing design element of www.EllisIsland.org is the use of a horizontal line at the top of the opening page to separate site ID, user sign-in, and navigational tools from content. Typically, site designs make heavier use of vertical lines to structure content and navigation.
Simplistic design elements are characteristic. Shapes are rectangular and typeface is sans serif (with the exception of the type for The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. in the site ID).
Photographic images and graphical representation of immigration activity both add texture in limited quantities.
Positive and negative space vary, depending on the content of each page, but are used effectively to draw attention to certain features and functions.
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Techniques
An emphasis on the passenger search as the most prominent feature of www.EllisIsland.org is accomplished through its positioning on the opening page and the use of a deep red in contrast to the subtle green and yellow shades viewed elsewhere. Attention is also drawn to the need for funding to re-open The Statue of Liberty through positioning of links on the opening page.
Unity is achieved through multiple design techniques. Shades of green in the header section and a light yellow for the background of the content on each page unify through consistent use. Sepia-toned photographs connect images to each other, both present-day and from the Ellis Island era of 1892-1924. Though reminiscent of earlier photography styles and capabilities, the lack of color is in direct contrast to the intensity of the immigration experience. Uniform typeface and similar page layouts also contribute to unity.
Movement is implied through the placement of photographic images as well as the graphical representation of the peopling of America. However, much of the site is static, communicating the fixed positioning of the Ellis Island era in U.S. history.
The design makes highly appropriate use of proximity to show relationships of information as well as demonstrate navigational methods. For example, views of ship manifests and ships are located just to the right of each passenger search record while additional information in the form of member annotation is also immediately accessible to the left of these records.
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Layout
www.EllisIsland.org uses a horizontal grid with lines that separate the header from distinct content on each page.
This placement is consistent throughout the site. An exception is the Immigrant Experience. On all other pages, visitors can scroll down the page to view content; however in this section, the header is fixed and does not recede as the user scrolls to read content. The narrow space available for content in this text-intensive area detracts significantly from its otherwise pleasing design.
Vertical layout follows similar patterns on each page but no two pages seem to be have consistent column widths. Core content is placed in the center column; left and right columns typically aid in navigation or are left blank.
Thanks to the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress for the photograph of arrivals to Ellis Island.