Yale+University+Dept+of+Art+Website

=Yale University Art Department Website= Explanation of Design This is a web page design by the Department of Art at Yale University. I don't know the purpose of a design so full of faux-pas that goes against the rules of webpage making. Just looking at it makes one search for consistency.

Design issue

1) The bright colors are used to highlight items but the colors clash with the the background. 2) The background is not suitable in symmetry or contrast or balance. 3) Color scheme is not uniform. 4) The small orange text at the top of the page is actually the contact information but one struggles to see it due to color choice and font size. 5) A contact page should be separate or easy to see. 6) The information that the page wishes to offer is all on one page instead of different categories that link to different pages. 7) The user is intimidated by this site because it has no uniformity.

Recommendations for improvement Balance: Visual balance comes from arranging elements on the page so that no one section is heavier than the other. I recommend that the background be balanced with the rest of the page. There should be a balance of color and perhaps making the background opaque would solve some of the issue. The location of the text boxes need to also balanced on the page in size and location. Contrast: Although the colors really bring out the page, the contrast is off by using the neon colors. The contact text in orange against the green gets lost and the author should experiment with more appealing color schemes. Focal Point: On this page one doesn't know what the focal point is. The center of the page highlights the graduates. Does the author want the user to use the sight or only view the first page? Find a focal point and do a usability test to find out what users do first on your site. If you want to be creative, do it within the site not on the first page. Alignment: Alignment brings order to chaos, which is what this site appears to be. How you align type and graphics on a page and in relation to each other can make your layout easier or more difficult to read, make it more inviting and familiar and make it usable. I suggest reducing the clutter and creating new pages and links instead of stuffing everything on one page. Repetition: Repeating design elements and consistent use of type and graphics styles within a document shows a reader where to go and helps them navigate your designs and layouts without issues. Remember that repetition results in familiarity and brings your user back to your site. I suggest using only a couple of fonts and sizes consistently for headers, paragraphs and links. Sub-headings and titles can also be the same but in bold print. This would definitely make this site more usable. White space: There is none! Providing white space allows for balance and alignment. Shrink or opaque the background and add some white space for ease of navigation.