After doing some looking on the internet, I found Apple's Website to be exceptional in terms of its design, navigation and content. Also, I found that it followed many of the principles that Ross Larson said were important in his essay. In terms of design, there were many things I liked about Apple's site. First of all, I like how it lays out a button to click for each of its devices on the top of the screen. This overlaps with navigation, because the design of the website is so simple and easy to use that it makes navigation seamless. On many big company websites, it's easy to be overwhelmed with options to click. Apple's site has plenty of white space, but at the same time presents you with many options filled with great information. Something that I also thought was cool in terms of the site's design was how crystal clear all of the images were. For example, the iPhone 4 that is featured when you enter the website is so real looking that it might just fall off the screen into my lap. I think the main thing with the design of the Apple website is despite having a large number of products, the user is not overwhelmed with information.
In terms of navigation, something I mentioned earlier is how easy it's to go from product to product. There is a tab bar for all of Apple's products, ranging from computers to iPads. Something that we read about in Larson's essay is how important it is to categorize things. Apple does an excellent job of allowing the user to go to each item and allowing them to learn more about that topic in simple sections or bullets. Something I liked about the site in terms of content is that once you pick a certain item on the top toolbar, there are many options available for the user. You can learn about any item's design, features, prices or capabilities and all of the options are color coded so you can easily set them apart. I think the way Apple made its website simple and easy to navigate is what makes it such a successful and user friendly place.
Citation: http://pocketpc-live.com/images/2010/apple-logo.jpg
Tyler, It is funny that you mentioned this because although Mirlyn (The online library I posted about) is completely different from Apple, the way we both described these websites were extremely similar. The whole idea of easy navigation and white background space helps the viewer focus and retrieve the information they had been looking for. It was interesting for me to see how both of these websites could grasp the attention of completely different viewers in a similar way. I guess this means that no matter the audience, a successful website always depends on the way content is distributed upon a page.
ReplyDeleteTy,
ReplyDeleteAfter viewing Apple's website, I saw what you were talking about with how easy it was to navigate the site. For a company that has may products that are high-tech, Apple did a really nice job of making its website understandable for people who may not be the best with new technology. It was easy for me to learn important information about each product without feeling overwhelmed with information. I also thought you made an interesting point about the colors and images the site uses. I thought that the imagery was very "real" and gave the website a 21st century feel. Also, the colors made it much easier to see each option individually. I also liked how there were many user friendly videos that allowed me to see the products in action prior to buying them. Overall, I agree with you, that Apple has a great website.
Tyler,
ReplyDeleteIt's funny, yet not surprising, that you and I both chose to write about the Apple website as such an effective website. I completely agree with your thoughts, as mine were quite similar in my post about the site. You spoke about how important it is to categorize and I haven't come across a website to date that does so in as manageable a way as Apple does. I love that no matter how far you immerse yourself in the site, clicking on different products and sections, the main menu bar as well as subcategories that you've entered remain on the top of the page making it nearly impossible for the viewer to get lost trying to navigate the site. I also really like how you explained the overlapping between the aspects of content, navigation and design within the site!