Layout, visual aspects and textual aspects
Layout and visual aspects
Because websites incorporate images, they can be examined much like a visual text in terms of reading paths. This chapter will treat layout and reading paths as assumed knowledge. Refer to 'Reference Package Two: How meaning is shaped in text' for a further, more in-depth explanation.
When users arrive at a website or page, it is important that they are able to find their way to the most relevant information as quickly as possible. Layout plays an important role in achieving this. Effective websites will be designed to direct the user to the relevant information. Ineffective websites will be designed in a way that disguises directions to relevant pages or that contains too many distracting images, animations, sounds or advertisements. Below is a list of aspects to look out for.
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Aspect |
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Salient feature |
A salient feature is the first thing that a user's view is directed towards. Effective salient features relate directly to the site, do not distract from the purpose of the site and encourage the user to explore the website either through the appeal of the salient feature or the reading path. On the other hand, a salient feature is ineffective if it is not directly relevant to the content on the website, distracts from the purpose of the website or offers no explanation of the website or directions to navigation. |
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Tone |
The layout of a website is crucial to setting the tone of the website. To examine whether the tone of a website is effective or not you will need to decide on whether the tone suits the purpose and audience. Consider, for example, a website that has an academic purpose. A bright, colourful and cheerful tone with many images of clowns and festivities would not suit the content and is not an effective use of layout. The website for a car dealership having a 'crazy' 20th anniversary sale might have a fun tone. It might include images of balloons, alongside motoring imagery. This tone would be effective because the audience is used to seeing balloons at car dealerships that are having sales. |
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Typeface |
It is important that the font (typeface) of the text is consistent throughout the text. This makes the text easier to read. It is also important that the font suits the content, purpose and audience of the website. For example, the Morris Gleitzman homepage uses a font for the headings of the pages that is similar to the font of the titles of his books. This choice of font is effective because it suits the content as well as maintaining a consistent tone between his novels and the website. |
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Icons |
Icons are used as symbols that are quickly recognisable in the place of words. The most prominent icons are the Word and Internet Explorer icons that you will find on your desktop. If a website uses icons, you will need to determine whether or not these icons are relevant and useful for the website. Questions to consider include: is the icon easily recognisable, does the icon link to what you would imagine it should link to and does the icon match the overall tone and design of the website. |
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Images/ animations/ |
While these features can add to a user's interest in a website it is important that they are not used overused. These features are only effective if they are useful, relevant and do not distract from the main purpose of the website. |
Textual aspects
The text in websites is often overlooked because of the eye-catching aspects such as images, sound and animations. It is important to remember that, usually, text is the crucial content of websites. For this reason, textual content needs the correct use of grammar and punctuation and also needs to be meticulously proofread and edited. It is also important that the style of writing suits the subject matter and the tone of the layout of the website. Consider the following examples for a website promoting a children's television show to children. The design of the website is colourful and bright with fun animations and promotional games.
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Example one Get excited! This funky new show is what you have been waiting for! Get to know the cool new characters and laugh along with their hilarious antics! |
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Example two This new television show is aimed at children. It is designed so that children can empathise with the characters and engage with the humorous events in which they partake. |
Which example do you think is more appropriate? Example one is written in an informal and exciting tone. The use of exclamations as punctuation implies excitement. Words such as 'funky' and 'cool' are words that might be used by children. Example two is much more formal. Words such as 'aimed at children', 'designed', 'empathise', 'engage' and 'partake' are words that are not commonly used by small children. Example one is more appropriate as it matches the tone of the website and the purpose of the website. For a more detailed discussion of tone, refer to 'Reference Package Two: How meaning is shaped in text.'
