Design

Design was the theme found when reading the articles for the week. After reading three different articles; "First Impressions Count For Web", "Changing The Face of Web Surfing", and "Is Design Political" we learned how the ways in which a web site is designed affects a persons first and long lasting impression of the site, the accessibility of websites, and how design on the internet affects the outcome of users on the internet.

In the first article "First Impressions Count For Web" we learn that the internet is no different than a book or another person when it comes to judging. A site is judged by its viewers in less than the first second that they are there.
- What do you think of this?
- What do you think are some of the ways sites appeal or repel its users?
- Do you think that this is an accurate way to form an opinion, and if a site doesn't
appeal to a person in the first milliseconds do you you thin k that they carry a bias
while still viewing the site
In the second article "Changing The Force of Web Surfing" we went into detail about web sites that are not easily accessed and are difficult to navigate for the users. It compares these sites to buildings without ramps, does this mean that we are all disabled users? The article further explains how the users of these sites often build their own ramps, go in and create their own version of the site, create a more accessible site on their own network and server. Needless to say the owners of the real sits often do not appreciate this and the two parties wind up in court. To me, I side with the companies that are losing their customers to imposter's, whether the site is navigable or not, guests should not be led away to sites that could be fraudulent. The customers could be led to fill in their personal information for a less than worth site, they could be handing over their identity and not even know it.
- Do you think "volunteering" and redoing a site without permission should be legal?
- Do you think that the users are right in wanting a good site?
- How often do you come across a site that is difficult to navigate?
- Do you think all sites will eventually be forced to be accessible to all?
Finally we read the article "Is Design Political" this article didn't focus so much on the way internet design affected its users but it did relate. It specifically made comments of design as propaganda. The way I took this article was that when a site is trying to sell a product it is going to be designed to shine the best light on the product, have positive testimonials, really good pictures of the product, give similar products, the site does anything to make a sale. The article explains how fifty years ago prisons were designed to keep prisoners locked up, and did not have many classes or ways for the prisoners to be rehabilitated. Back then eighty percent of funding went to keeping prisoners secure and twenty percent went to rehabilitation programs. Now its just the opposite with eighty percent going towards programs like education. Same with schools, fifty years ago they were designed with the teachers giving lectures, now they promote teamwork. Fast Food is another way design is used to sell products, making life simpler, but the companies try to hide the affects like weight gain and diabetes.
- Do you feel that site design does directly correlate to the way its users respond?
- What are some ways that design affects the users?
- Do you feel that this article relates to the internet or is more of a non internet
article?
- What is another way that design has changed over time, (schooling, prison system) do you
think it was for the better?