Reflection: Web Design

I decided to download Amaya to try web designing on my own. I was looking for a web design site that would be open source or have a trial option. I have heard a lot about Dreamweaver, but Amaya seemed to have fewer restrictions in terms of cost. What I liked about Amaya was that it was easy-to-use, especially since it uses WYSIWYG. I was able to download the template within minutes and get started immediately.

I had never thought so much about a website’s design. Sometimes my experiences with websites are effortless. At times, I have had minor struggles that made my experience frustrating. As well, there have been times when a website is so difficult to maneuver around that I give up on it and try to find another site that would serve the same purpose. After reading the “Web Pages That Suck”, I began to understand what I had been seeing on websites that made them so efficient or inefficient. The advice that I learned from the exercise helped me consider many variables that I did not think of previously.

I think it is important to develop a storyboard of a website design before starting. It helped me focus on the purpose of my site and how I would maintain the focus throughout. Afterwards, I began to turn my storyboard into a website. The process was quite labour intensive, especially since there was a lot on the site to include. It definitely made me appreciate all the websites that I browse on. I tried to keep two things in mind: consistency and ease of navigation. In terms of consistency, I decided to keep the format and design simple and identical. It allowed for clarity on the site. Because people want their sites to be informative, I think it would be very easy to create a cluttered website. Therefore, it was important to step back during the design process and assess if the site still held the same purpose, was consistent, and was easy to navigate. Swanson and Green (2011) stated, “The more items that are added to the site the less findable each item becomes. Our library site provides access to more than research tools. It provides an avenue to information about our cultural events, podcasts, blogs, faculty help pages, online videos, information literacy resources and many other forms of content. The purpose of our homepage is to add value to all of our resources by making them findable.” Therefore, although we try to include as many resources and links on our site, the website becomes less valuable when items are lost in the design. This was the main challenge that I came across when developing my site. I can see this as challenge that I would have for all the websites that I create in the future.

Despite web design being a labour intensive process, I was surprised how fun it was. Perhaps it was because I was able to manipulate the design how I wanted it. Whenever I get the chance to personalize something, it creates a meaningful experience. At the same time, I was surprised how helpful and abundant in options my web design template was. I was able to create so many textures in my website which made it look professional. This aspect makes web design a lot easier, and more welcoming, for new designers.

Swanson, T., & Green, J. Why We Are Not Google: Lessons from a Library Web site Usability Study. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 37(3), 222-229.