Iowa State University – College of Liberal Arts and Sciences – Episode #160
Site Scores:
| Site | Visual | Information | Code | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University – College of Liberal Arts and Sciences | 71 | 89 | 67 | (227/300) 76% C |
Today’s Tip:
If you are using tables to list out large around of information make sure there is enough line height between rows so a user can follow information across. If there is a large amount of space between columns it will be beneficial to add alternating background colors (zebra stripes) or a light border at the bottom of each row. The easier it is for your users to scan the table the more likely it is for them to take an action.
Like what you see? Subscribe to the video blog through RSS, iTunes or sign up to receive email updates when new episodes are posted.
Tags: episode
April 1st, 2010 at 1:10 pm
You mentioned the rotating images towards the right of the front page as becoming a bit “lost” and moving too quickly. The obvious fix for that would be adding user controls, but beyond that they should attempt to connect the photos to meaningful content – perhaps linking them to a flickr collection with relevant captions and user-contributed content or a blog entry describing the events taking place and how they relate to being a student within the college of liberal arts and sciences. They are going with the idea of “discovering” the college of liberal arts and sciences and this could have been a great supplementary campaign to complement the somewhat dry and predictable student bios and links to social media sites.
April 1st, 2010 at 3:01 pm
I think the main page template could benefit from an “Apply Now” link, possibly towards the right side of the menu bar. Several of the pages, including those in the Prospective Student area, do not offer a clear path for applying to this college. The individual pages for Majors and Minors have call-outs to apply, but those are at least two clicks into the site.
Also, I found the menus to be just a little bit too sticky, but that’s mostly a matter of taste. I would take a few hundred milliseconds off of the delay to ensure content doesn’t get obscured.
April 1st, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Here’s a little thing that I noticed about the site. The postal address is in the footer with a link to “contact the college”. It seems odd that the postal address is more readily available than a link to an e-mail address, or a 1-800 number to contact someone at the college. It seems like the methods of immediate contact are hidden under that one link layer. Just an observation.
Nick, keep up the great work! You’ve got a keen eye and I learn a lot from your reviews.
April 2nd, 2010 at 1:34 pm
Just a couple things I might add:
– Put an actual Label element with the search box instead of using the value attribute. It helps those with screen readers know what the input element is for.
– On the news and events on the homepage, make the whole area clickable instead of just the title.
I personally did like the Flash element on the homepage and the rollover effect on the “Discover” link.
–Chris