MMPR30023 Research Project Artefact 1

1. MMPR30023 Research ProjectArtefact 1 N0407623 Tanya Wood

2. Before the creation of my first artefact I wanted to investigate elements that are considered most important within web design. By having a clear understanding of these elements and conducting relevant research it will help form my decision on what to create for my first artefact.

3. Within a recent online tutorial Design Aesthetics for Web Design they discuss the 8 key elements of design/web design. These are highlighted as: Colour, Value(tone), Texture, Shape, Form, Space(Whitespace), Line and Type. I wanted to understand some of these elements better. By understanding these clearly it will hopefully help me inform better design choices in the future and my first artefact.

4. COLOUR I looked at various colour schemes such as Monochrome(single colour in all of its iterations from white to black) Complementary colours: A pair of colours at opposite ends of the colour wheel. Analogous: A pair of 2 or more colours that are right next to each other on the colour wheel. Triad: Any 3 colours that are equally distant on the colour wheel.

5. By understanding these colours schemes I can then make informed choices about the right colours to use for a website. With many colours we already have a natural association for example red can convey passion, green conveys calmness, yellow=happiness and so on. Some industries use the same colours/schemes to represent their brands, products and services. For example banks and legal practices use more conservative colours such as dark navy, blue, red, maroon, silver and gold.

6. A spa as we know is a place where we relax and unwind. The red colour scheme (left) does not convey this emotion and therefore poorly represents the industry and company it is trying to represent. Example of a poor choice of colour scheme for company and industry.

7. A spa is needs to be soothing, relaxing and inviting. The use of colour below represents this emotion and association best. By looking at these examples it has helped me realise how the right use of colour can best represent a specific company or industry. It is vital to think about the target audience and the mood the company wish to project when choosing colour.

8. Space/Whitespace/Negative Space What is it? A part of the page left blank/empty space. It is basically the space that is between images and other elements. By using whitespace it helps remind us of the importance of keeping things simple. One key reason to leave whitespace is so the eye has time to rest between elements and distinguish important information from the less important.

9. By ensuring that that the design of a site is not cluttered by too many elements and leaving whitespace between key elements of a design, it will draw users to the main focus points of a website. Example of great use of whitespace (below). As a user we focus on the important element the search bar.

10. Type Another key element in design. When used correctly choosing the right font can communicate the right mood to target audiences. Font Type helps to identify the hierarchy of your content. The biggest font will be most attractive and eye-catching, the sizing of the fonts H1(largest) – H6 (being the smallest) can help structure the sites content in a way that ensures the users reads the most important information first, followed by the latest important.

11. Artefact One Having researched some key elements of web design I wanted to get some user feedback on whether users would identify these aesthetic elements as the most important elements of a website to them. I therefore created an online survey focusing on: The importance of aesthetic elements of a website. The purpose of this survey was to explore what aesthetic elements of a website users feel are important and to then review if the data collected supports my critical reading and research on the subject.

12. Survey Data Analysis This online survey was completed by a total of 19 users. Users selected to complete this questionnaire came from a variety of backgrounds from students, to work professionals to mature friends and family members.

13. Whilst it can be argued that all of the elements (left) are important factors in the overall design of a website I felt that it would be useful to get feedback from users on key elements of a site they consider to be most important. By asking this question and collecting my data I hope that it will help me make informed choices during the future design processes of the websites I create.

14. Survey Q1 Findings Overall layout was marked as what users to be the most important element of a website with an average ranking of 3.33. Other key elements highlighted were colour with an average rating of 3.94, along with content (4.00) and imagery(4.39).

15. Users were then asked to comment on the site (left). In specific commenting on design aspects of the site they liked.

16. Key comments of feedback from the Cineworld webpage design are below. Again key elements that users are identifying as what they like the most/what is visually pleasing are elements such as layout and colour.

17. Users were then asked to comment on the above site, what elements they felt are aesthetically poor and why.

18. Key comments of feedback from the 007webpage design are below. Many commented that the overall layout was extremely confusing and overall gave the site an unprofessional look. Also many commented that the use of colour and imagery was bland not professional looking.

19. Users were then asked to give a list of their favourite 3 websites and explain why they like these websites. Answers below:

20. Comments on why users had chosen the previous sites as their favourites are below. Consistent elements are being highlighted through this questionnaire such as layout, colour and simplistic design.

21. Artefact One Evaluation By creating this questionnaire and analysing the feedback it is clear that there are many key aesthetic elements of a website. Layout and colour scheme throughout the survey have been highlighted as key elements a user considers to be important in a websites overall design. These findings do support much of my earlier research that I have conductedfor example Anon,2011 discusses the 7 elements of an aesthetically pleasing website “1. ColorOne of the most powerful subliminal visual tools is the deliberate use of color to influence the user experience on a website. Reds are “hot” colors and command attention. Blues and greens are “cool” colors and have a calming effect. Think carefully about the colors you choose for your background, headers, navigation and links. Test different colors methodically to determine the most effective palette for your audience and message.

22. Images A picture tells a thousand words. But the wrong picture is a waste of precious real estate. Whether you use photography, diagrams or illustrations, be sure to select imagery that will be appealing to your audience and is also relevant and truly adds value to your message. Anon,2011 7 Elements of an aesthetically pleasing website (online) available at: http://www.appliedi.net/blog/7-elements-of-an-aesthetically-pleasing-website/ (accessed 11th November 2013). These two aesthetically elements (points 1.&2. above) have clearly been highlighted within my survey as elements users consider to be important in the overall design of a site.

23. Zorzini, 2013 also discussed the importance of aesthetics in web design “ Making your site look pretty and attractive is what’s known as aesthetics. Aesthetics are a huge component of web design, as we all know. Most people started in the field of web design because you like art, designs, and how objects flow on a website. Your web design should do exactly that: flow. Many of the websites that fail wonder why. The answer is usually partly due to a lack of passion. Your website needs to find its niche and target audience and use that to develop those conversions! The flow of your website comes from 3 simple aspects….Give your website purpose…Give your users direction…give your users content!”Zorzini, 2013 On the importance of web design (online) available at: http://inspiredm.com/on-the-importance-of-web-design/ (accessed 8th November 2013).

24. Anon, 2013 argues that although visual appeal is important in web design it’s not the highest priority you should consider when designing a website “First of all, yes visual appeal is important. But that’s not the highest priority and you must consider that everyone has different tastes, preferences and likes. It’s kind of like art. Some people like dark and mysterious, while others prefer colorful and lively, and yet another crowd may prefer the abstract or strange. Unless you’re selling artwork on your website, then many of these typical rules should fall further down the scale of priorities.” Anon 2013 The importance of aesthetics in web design (online) available at: http://www.5stonesmedia.com/blog/the-importance-of-aesthetics-in-web-design (accessed 14th November 2013). Within the article (above) it is highlighted that other components are equally as important when designing a website. Such as: Flow, Branding, Colour, Images, Balance, Communication, Social Media Integration and Flexibility.

25. Consideration Artefact 2 Based on my research and feedback from my user questionnaire I now aim to experiment with different web design ideas by creating a variation of website mock-ups and to test what I have learnt from my first artefact. I will then reflect on my findings and test my designs on users. This feedback will then inform my next artefact.