“If a website is not easy to use, people, simply leave,” Jakob Nielsen (of Heng, J 2009, p. 2). The image above is a good example of a badly designed weblog. Using this image as an example, information on weblog design and print design (image below) would be compared.
Jakob Nielsen’s (2005) pointed out that the design of a weblog should be user-friendly. However, the weblog above oppose his theories of an appropriate weblog design. It is proven through Jakob Nielsen’s (2005) not-to-do-list; mixing the topics. This mainly refers to having too many topics as shown above; readers would leave the weblog without reading its contents.
The weblog have yet again oppose Jakob Nielsen’s theory of having a good design as it may contain author biographies made available to gain credibility, however readers would not be able to find it. “Page Design is the most immediately visible part of web design,” Jakob Nielsen (Designing Web Usability, p.17) (of Heng, J 2009, p. 28 of 70).
The Literacy Company (2007)(of Heng, J 2009, p. 7 of 70). states that a weblog such as the above does not attract readers as its contents are not divided into paragraphs.
Source: The print navigation differs from weblog navigation. Weblog navigation consists of links where it categorizes postings base on topics. Its purpose is to create a user-friendly weblog where readers would have easier access to information. Readers are able to search for specific topics that they are interested in, a clutter-free weblog.
The print, according to Diana Reep (2006, p.154), relies on headings and subheadings as a form of navigation. She states that, headings allow readers to gain specific information they may take interest in. It could also attract readers to the information.
Although, the print above provides heading, it confuses readers as there is no elements to help guide a readers’ eyes from one column of information to the other.
It is important for web writers as well as print writers to know the eye movement of their potential readers, beforehand. According to Jakob Nielsen (2006), the eye movement of readers on blogs goes horizontally across the top part of the blog’s contents before moving downwards. Readers would than, scan the content’s from the left side, vertically.
This differs when it comes to reading a printed document as the eye movement of readers “would focus on outer right and left of a page instead of the inner, their eyes would go from the bottom to the top,” Penman (1998, p.11).
In the weblog context, readers does not read but rather scan through its contents. “People rarely read web pages word by word; they scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences.” Jakob Nielsen (2006, p.10 of 70) He also states that 79% of readers scans through weblog contents, Jakob Nielsen (2006, p.11 of 70)
References:
Heng, J 2009, Online & Print Environment, Lecture notes distributed in the unit, COMM 1043 Introduction to Publication and Design, Taylors College, Petaling Jaya on 13 October 2009.
Heng, J 2009, Do’s and Don’ts for Weblogs, Lecture notes distributed in the unit, COMM 1043 Introduction to Publication and Design, Taylors College, Petaling Jaya.
Nielsen, J 2005, Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes, viewed 16 November 2009, http://www.useit.com/alertbox/weblogs.html
Morkes, J & Nielsen 1997, Concise, Scannable, and Objective: How to Write for the Web, viewed 16 November 2009, http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/writing.html
Robyn, P 1998, ‘Document structures and readers’ habits’, Communication News, vol.11, no.2, University of South Australia (COMM 1043).
Reep, D 2006, ‘Technical writing’, Document Design, vol.6, University of South Australia (COMM 1043).
Swanson 2007, Bad Design by Example, viewed 17 November 2009,
http://blogs.msdn.com/mswanson/archive/2007/05/06/bad-design-by-example.aspx
Spooner n.d., The Five Worst Website Designs in the World, viewed 17 November 2009,
http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/articles/the-5-worst-website-designs-in-the-world
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