Website Redesign Project - Essay Example

     Whenever something is designed, whether it be a website, an advertisement, a multitude of related materials, or even the product being sold itself, one of the most important considerations, and often the most overlooked, is typography.

     Type is more than a necessary evil, it is something that has to be used to effectively convey a message.  The weight, form, style, and size, all contribute to the impression your print message makes on the intended audience.

     The choice of type and the way it is laid out with the other design elements (i.e., photos and/or illustrations, etc.) can exert a tremendous influence on the reception it receives from your intended audience.  Plainly speaking, typography can make or break your presentation, regardless of the medium or the message.

     Thanks to today’s computer and graphics technology, not only is there a multitude of typestyles available, but some programs allow users to create their own unique typestyle.  This ability should be used with great restraint since too much of a good thing is, well, too much.

And this is another important consideration

     Regardless of what style of type is selected by a designer or design team, it should be understood that the design of type, and even the overall design, should be more than just a passing judgment of the designer.  When deciding on a format, it is important to determine what will work best with the target audience, not what the designer likes or dislikes personally.  Every presentation of an ad, website, or other medium should undergo an evaluation by a representative sample of the public that it is intended for.  Unfortunately, due to time constraints and other factors, this step is often not taken.

     To better illustrate my points, I have selected two website home pages that I believe illustrate not only problems but opportunities.  First, I would like to consider Pennsylvania’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/liheap/)

     From the moment I saw this website, I had to wonder how effective it was in serving its audience.  First of all, we must consider who the intended audience is for the programs the website promotes,    Although it is true that there is a general audience that it might serve, the first issue to me is the size of the type.  The size seems to me to be too small to be seen by older people who are most likely to suffer from lower visual acuity.  For this same reason, I am also leary of the color of the type in the center of the site. 

     Another issue I have with the design of this website is the applicability of the materials in the copy.  A serious look should be taken by decision-makers to determine who exactly their intended audience is.  If their intended audience is the direct beneficiaries of the low-income assistance program, I feel that the information concerning studies and evaluations, funding, and Congressional Reports should be secondary to the recipients of the information.  Eliminating or moving this information to another position, page, or site, would dramatically increase the usability of the site and the information it contains.

     When one seriously considers the intended audience, isn’t the information they are looking for basically what assistance is provided, do I qualify, and how do I apply?  Regardless of the message, the most important question to ask when designing a website or other materials is “What am I trying to say?” 

     Let us consider this alternative style of website: and Teen Dating Bill of Rights and Pledge