New sites' designs flawed
Alan Jacobson, an outspoken Virginia newspaper and Web designer, says newspaper Web sites' designs are seriously flawed, in that they areare too cluttered and suffer from link and content overload.
He's right. His solution isn't perfect, though. He advocates confining all content to the size of a computer screen, with no scrolling -- a CD-ROM design approach. He argues that you can pack in all the content you need using DHTML mouseover techniques.
This is a good idea, and perhaps the best example of a site that does something similar is CJOnline.com, the Web site of The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal.
The one-page approach creates problems, too, though. Fitting all the content on one screen is tricky when users set their screens to different resolutions. Most sites traffic comes through the home page, so the temptation to put a lot of content on them is strong. Moreover, some sites have found that when links are buried behind DHTML or rotating images, the clickthrough drops off.
A combination of approaches is probably ideal, at least until broadband spreads even more and changes clickthrough patterns more.
Still, there's no question that most news sites could benefit from streamlining the number of links on their home pages.
Mar 17, 2004 | E-MAIL | SAVE | PRINT | PERMALINK | DISCUSS(1)
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1 comments about 'New sites' designs flawed'I like the looks of www.out2.com
It's easy to read and use.
Posted by KEvan at March 19, 2004 10:08 AM
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