If a well designed website didn't help a company flourish in the industry, there would be no reason for organizations to shell out tens of thousands of dollars on a regular basis to have sites that are easy to use and look good. The Art Institute of Chicago is no exception in having a finely tuned page that is professional looking with usability a prime aspect to the design. Even with simple boxes of information that are not too ostentatious, the website found at http://www.artic.edu/aic maintains a sophisticated look by incorporating the artwork and Flash drop down menus in a clean cut, elementary format.
When first entering the site, the first thing noticeable is a gigantic news ticker that informs people of the upcoming exhibitions at the museum. The creative use of photographs of the artwork found in the exhibit add a feature that pulls the eyes in and makes the viewer want to go visit the show. It also helps that the images used are darker and contrast very well against the white background, bringing attention to the artwork.
Beyond the main element, basic information a visitor would need are easy to find right on the first page. Price and times the museum are open are found in the upper left underneath the Art Institute logo, the first place eyes would gravitate to. The very top is where the Flash menus are. It clearly spells out where to find information within the website. There's a search option on the left hand side and the bottom of the page is where links to the contact and site map link are located. The rest of the page are images that link you to other areas that explain features of the museum while visiting.
What enhances the website is that everything is sectioned off in boxes and placed beside others with similar content. The page itself has very little vertical scroll so that if someone needs to find something, it doesn't take more than a few seconds. Once links are clicked, the structure of the website is uniform, making scrolling quick and easy. The page never changes shape so if there's a need to change links fast, the mouse can keep moving towards the same general location even if the site is still loading.
The experience using the Art Institute's website is a pleasurable one. It's quick to move around and it won't hurt your brain trying to access the data that you're looking for. Not only that, it helps that while going through the site, all the different works of art appear throughout, adding context and beauty at the same time. Hopefully, the site would draw people in so much that they wouldn't be able to resist going to see the real thing.
Good job with the content. I have a strong understanding of what is on the site, and where things are located. Just make sure read over your paper before you post it, there are a few small errors.
ReplyDeleteThis has a strong voice. Its like I don't need to visit the site to envision how it works. Nice job. Its also well complimented with solid opinion.
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