Design
Effectiveness
Use of Graphics
Incorporation of Pathos (color, typology)
Content
Relevancy to Inquiry Essay
Expands Inquiry Essay
Use of different Modes
Grammar
Overall
Flow
Presentation
Clear Organization
Completion
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Rhetorical Situation
1.) Writer:
I am a senior at the University of Maryland. I would be considered a digital native, and therefore have grown up with digital technology. Growing up in this age, I have becoming reliant on the Internet, and have first hand experience with many websites.
2.) Audience:
My audience are working professionals in their 40s-50s. Since they are working professionals, they will have an a proper educational background, and will be relatively familiar with digital technology. This group of people will be diverse, and will have head different experiences, but are at the same point in their lives currently.
3.) Subject:
I am writing about the format of websites and what makes a successful website.
4.) Context:
This is a relevant topic because many peoples are slowly becoming reliant on the Internet. But how do they people choose which website to go to?
5.) Genre:
Inquiry Essay
6.) Purpose:
I am writing this argument because I wanted to know what can a website do to make its visitors keep coming back.
I am a senior at the University of Maryland. I would be considered a digital native, and therefore have grown up with digital technology. Growing up in this age, I have becoming reliant on the Internet, and have first hand experience with many websites.
2.) Audience:
My audience are working professionals in their 40s-50s. Since they are working professionals, they will have an a proper educational background, and will be relatively familiar with digital technology. This group of people will be diverse, and will have head different experiences, but are at the same point in their lives currently.
3.) Subject:
I am writing about the format of websites and what makes a successful website.
4.) Context:
This is a relevant topic because many peoples are slowly becoming reliant on the Internet. But how do they people choose which website to go to?
5.) Genre:
Inquiry Essay
6.) Purpose:
I am writing this argument because I wanted to know what can a website do to make its visitors keep coming back.
Inquiry Essay
Maitreyi Agashe
September 20, 2010
ENGL278Z
Geary
Websites by Immigrants?
Gmail, Facebook, Washington Post, and the Weather Channel. Without fail, these are the websites that I visit every morning. Gmail, Facebook, TV Guide, Youtube, ELMS. These are the websites that I am regularly on every afternoon. It is a reasonably safe assumption that I am dependent on these websites, whether it is to keep in touch with friends, watch music videos, or get assignments for class. But why is it that we choose to visit certain websites over others? There are many alternatives to my regular websites that offer the same service. For example, there are other social networking sites and news sites that I could visit to stay in touch with friends (LinkedIn) or to get up to date news (CNN.) But why is that that I have my chosen sites? What are the appealing aesthetics of a website that keeps readers coming back?
What are the elements of a good website? According to Vitaly Friedman of Smashing Magazine, the key to a good website is the usability and utility that it offers to its clients. Friedman explains that since it is only users view and operate a website, their understanding and ability to operate functions are the only things that matter when designing a website. Friedman goes on to outline 10 principles that are important to a good website. Half of the principles are user-centric and emphasize the importance of catering to your audience. The other half focuses on the simplicity website. However after reading the article, I was not impressed. Most of the principles seemed like common sense to me. However is that because I am a digital native? Are articles such as “10 Principles of Effective Web Design” the bridge between digital natives and digital immigrants?
What is a digital native? According to Marc Prensky, a digital native is someone that is “fluent in the digital language of computers, video games, and the Internet.” He also refers to a digital immigrant “one that is not born in the digital age.” Even though one can never truly shed an “accent”, one can become very fluent in the digital language. The website, www.webpagesthatsuck.com, outlines some of the worst mistakes that a web designer can make. The biggest problems that occur are that the designer designs an over the top website and does not understand the audience of the website. Are these mistakes more inherent to digital immigrants rather than digital natives? Websites and the Internet are second nature to digital natives. Therefore, they don’t feel the need to over embellish a website. For them, it is solely a tool to convey their thoughts and information, hence does not require fluff. However, digital immigrants do not view websites with the same purpose because they have not grown up with the same digital technology. By designing such designer-centric websites, are digital immigrants trying to prove that they have mastered the digital language?
Having a well designed website is not about just aesthetics, but rather promoting efficiency. In today’s digital world, everything is about efficiency since there is limited time for everything. Everyone is pressed for time and nobody wants to spend 30 minutes looking for something when it can be done in 5 minutes. A website can be aesthetically unappealing but if it accomplishes its purpose of conveying its message efficiently, then it is satisfying its consumers’ needs. When needs are satisfied, then the demand for the website will increase, thereby insinuating success of the website.
So what are the appealing aesthetics of a website that keeps readers coming back? I have come to the conclusion that in addition to being simplistic and being user-friendly, it is important that they are designed by a digital native. When a native designs a website, he or she is able to design with a purpose and do not have an accent when designing.
Works Cited
"Biggest Mistakes in Web Design 1995-2015 - from Web Pages That Suck - Learn Good Web Design by Looking at Bad Web Design." Web Pages That Suck - Learn Good Web Design by Looking at Bad Web Design - Home Page. Web. 19 Sept. 2010.
<http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/biggest-mistakes-in-web-design-1995-2015.html>.
Friedman, Vitaly. "10 Principles Of Effective Web Design." Smashing Magazine. 31 Jan. 2008. Web. 18 Sept. 2010. <http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/31/10-principles-of-effective-web-design/>.
Prensky, Marc. "Listen to the Natives." Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: 9-13. Print.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Research Topics
How does the design (primarily aesthetics) of websites inhibit or enable digital literacy?
For my inquiry paper, I am interested in the formats of websites, and what makes one better than another? I'm particularly interested in this subject because we visit so many websites in our daily lives that it has become a routine. Through my own personal experiences, I know that there are many websites that are cluttered that it becomes extremely difficult to find any information, or a website so spare that it is equally difficult to find information. Web design classes are available to people starting at a relatively young age, I know many high schools that offer such classes, then why are there still poorly designed websites? If websites are poorly designed, then does that mean the designer is a digital immigrant, rather than a digital native? What subjective qualitative measurement should be used to determine a success of a website? How do you determine that the website is well designed and the audience is not digitally illiterate? To what constant is digital literacy held? Can it even be a constant?
For my inquiry paper, I am interested in the formats of websites, and what makes one better than another? I'm particularly interested in this subject because we visit so many websites in our daily lives that it has become a routine. Through my own personal experiences, I know that there are many websites that are cluttered that it becomes extremely difficult to find any information, or a website so spare that it is equally difficult to find information. Web design classes are available to people starting at a relatively young age, I know many high schools that offer such classes, then why are there still poorly designed websites? If websites are poorly designed, then does that mean the designer is a digital immigrant, rather than a digital native? What subjective qualitative measurement should be used to determine a success of a website? How do you determine that the website is well designed and the audience is not digitally illiterate? To what constant is digital literacy held? Can it even be a constant?
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Literacy
Literacy is the ability to understand something. It can be applied to a variety of subjects and is used to demonstrate one's skill or knowledge in a certain area.
Literacy is the ability to understand something. The manner in which literacy is measured changes over time, and has a different meaning to everybody. In order to be literate, someone needs to understand the intricacies that are involved in the skill set. For example, a technology literate person is aware that it is a general rule that one does not send multiple text messages back to back. Somebody that knows how to text but sends multiple text messages quickly would not be considered a technology literate.
Literacy is the ability to understand something. The manner in which literacy is measured changes over time, and has a different meaning to everybody. In order to be literate, someone needs to understand the intricacies that are involved in the skill set. For example, a technology literate person is aware that it is a general rule that one does not send multiple text messages back to back. Somebody that knows how to text but sends multiple text messages quickly would not be considered a technology literate.
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