Further Research

Today I went through and did a bit more research, in order to solidify my approach to this website brief. I really want to make sure that the site is easy to navigate, just as much as I want it to look visually appealing. Ultimately, user navigation is the most crucial aspect, as it determines whether or not people will successfully be able to find what they're after, although visual systems and hierarchy can still be used in order to greatly assist with this process.

In terms of the 'USA TODAY' website, I quite like the layout and visuals of it. I like how the tabs are placed in order to filter down the searches, and I also like how there is the 'Right Now' section, which gives you the very latest news as it comes in. The tabs make it easier for the user to navigate through the site in order to find a desired article. Another aspect that I like is the use of the arrow keys on the left and right hand side of the page, which is another way of navigating between the tabs. Each new page is then colour coded as well, in order to make the page more unique, and make it easier to differentiate from the other pages.

In the above snippet, from 'Animation World Network', I really like the general layout, and how it is mainly image based as well. Images tend to be easier to remember and recognize rather than text, so if a user is returning to a site and looking to find the same article, I feel like using an image as a primary feature would be a key way of ensuring success in the user journey. The layout is nice as crisp as well, something I really like.

This approach, called 'News Wall' from Channel 4 News, is a way of condensing the articles into a GIF format. Each individual section is a GIF rather than an image, with the title of the article coming up one or two words at a time while the GIF continues on loop. One of my favourite features which I think will assist with the user journey and make it a lot easer, is the toolbar on the right hand side, which has the dates down it. Upon hover, the articles from that day stay in full colour, while all of the other articles are dulled out and strongly saturated. This allows the user to easily find which articles are from particular days without physically needing to click on the date tab, as the hover element allows for quicker navigation between tabs.