Project 2
A ssignment : Practical Project (1 week)
What to study for the task: Focus on identifying those aspects that makes a Web site a good one – i.e. enjoyable, entertaining, easily navigable, and usable. Similarly make sure that you know what makes a Web page or site a bad one. In particular you should know what are meant by the criteria that will be used during the evaluation of your Web page such as navigation (hyperlinks that are clear in their meaning etc.), usability (supports the user effectively and efficiently in his/her task), compatibility (with different browsers) etc. For more information visit the Web sites mentioned below.
You have to apply all that you have learned in the previous exercises and create your own Web site that will be evaluated .. The evaluation will be based on the criteria as listed below which serve as general Web page design guidelines. It is useful to use a rating from 1 to 5 (1 is poor, 5 is excellent), for the seven factors Usability, Navigation, Graphic Design, Content, Compatibility, Load Time, and Functionality, in a checklist-based evaluation of Web sites. Note that usability is the preferred term for ‘user-friendly’ or ‘ease-of-use’. An explanation of the seven factors are:
Usability: i.e. the ease of use/user friendly. Quality of the interaction. Incorporates all other six aspects listed below.
Navigation: Links that are clearly visible, make sense, and are not broken. Also an indication of where one is on a large web site such as Home->Products->Downloads. Answers the two questions: Where am I? Where can I go?
Graphics Design: Appropriate format (jpg (bitmap photos) or gif (bitmap sketches, line-drawings, animations) or flash (vector, animation, video), small picture sizes, number of colours, lossless vs. lossy compression. Could also include page layout here.
Content: good trustworthy frequently updated/changed and clear content that keeps the user engaged/entertained.
Compatibility: with a wide range of browsers (Opera, Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Netscape) and browser versions (Internet Explorer versions 4, 5 and 6). Also compatible with a wide range of platforms and operating systems (Apple MAC, Linux, Windows). Also compatible with a wide range of users (age, disability, computer skills, male/female etc).
Load time: fast load times (less than 10 seconds). Vector graphics very small (flash). Higher graphics compression with fewer colours, smaller pixel sizes, and lossy compression.
Functionality: supports the user in his/her task. For example bookshop must enable the user to do everything he/she needs to do in an intuitive way to browse and then purchase books. It is the number of functions (things that can be done) available on the site.
Your Web site should consist of at least five different pages..
For more examples and guidelines to good Web design link to:
You may choose any one of the following topics as the main theme for your Web site -
I wish you good luck with your studies and hope you enjoy the creative side of it.