Website Evaluation

Webpage Evaluation Questions - The A.V. Club

1) How is text arranged on the page (e.g. is there more text on the left, right, top, or bottom? Or, alternatively, how is text broken up into units across the page?)

On the homepage at least, the text has a fairly even distribution. The top of the page has tabs that will take readers to other sections (Music, Film, TV, etc.), but the homepage is laid out like  newspaper, with three different columns of hyperlinks, images, and advertisements, laid out attractively from top to bottom.

2) How are images or logos positioned in relation to text?

The website logo, a small, navy blue circle with the words "A.V. Club" in the center, is displayed in the upper-lefthand corner. Other images are spread around the page to represent one recent story in each different section. In other words, for the Film segment, there is a picture from the film "Olympus Has Fallen," which was recently reviewed. Links to other film reviews are then listed below this picture, hyperlinking readers to wherever they want to go. A similar format marks the other sections of the page. In addition, there is one large advertisement on the top of the page (right of the logo), and one along the upper half of the rightmost column.

3) Where do hyperlinks to other pages appear on the page? How plentiful are they? What types of pages do they link to?

Aside from the feature stories and reviews, which include a small snippet or headline under the pictures, almost everything on the main page is hyperlinked. They then take readers to subject-specific sub-pages or to reviews and articles that have recently been posted to the site. The only links that take readers out of the site are those embedded in the advertisements, which are naturally related to music and entertainment, to appeal to the site's reader-base.

4) What are the main colors that you see on the webpage? (What color is the background? What color is the text?)  Go to blackboard, Course Docs, Week II Folder, and look at Helmers’ “Elements of Critical Viewing” for information about COLOR and composition.

The site's primary color scheme is blue and white, so hyperlinks are blue laid out over a white background. Multi-colored tabs at the top help spice up the visual flare of the site, and the pictures and advertisements and more visual variety (for example, the motif of the advertisement provides a second background that the main white backdrop sits upon). Overall though, it seems like less is more when it comes to colors. Pick a simple color scheme and stick with it for a more tasteful appearance.

5) Is the webpage easy to navigate and user-friendly? In other words, is it easy to access the information that you want? Explain either way why it is user-friendly or why it is not.

I think it's very user-friendly. The homepage both presents the most recent entertainment news while also providing links for readers to reach more subject-specific pages. For example, once I am on the "Music" section of the site, it's incredibly easy to find the recent reviews, interviews, or stories I am looking for. Or, if I'm looking for nothing in particular, it's easy to rapidly skim what they have on the page. Each album gets its own snippet describing the sound or performer, so someone looking for new music can quickly ascertain what is and is not meant for their tastes. Similar ease-of-use models apply to every page on the site.

6)  What is the purpose of this website? Who do you suppose is the intended audience for this website?

It's an entertainment website: they specialize in news, reviews, essays, lists, or any other varieties of communication relating to music, film, television, books, or video games, and readers interested in any one of those subjects will find a lot to read through. In addition, The A.V. Club is owned by The Onion, one of the world's largest satirical news outlets, and a similar sarcastic lilt marks many of the headlines.