Abstract. 2
- Introduction. 3
- Home Page Structure and Content.. 5
- Use of Color..7
- Text & Font7
- Ease of visibility by the search machine8
- Images.. 8
- Conclusion.9
Works Cited.10
Abstract
The report is all about e-commerce in the sense of comparing the usability of two websites for companies that sell their product or service. It aims at providing an overall evaluation of which website is superior to the other in respect of their usability by the target audience using useful criteria aspects such as font, color, and images used within the webpage.
1.0 Introduction
The main function of the report is to compare two websites that are relatively similar in terms of content and structure for both of them address similar demographics but target different gender in terms of their target users. The two websites that we are going to consider are the websites for GQ-Magazine (www.gq-magazine.co.uk) and Cosmopolitan Magazine (www.cosmopolitan.co.uk). GQ-Magazine is a popular up-market typical magazine aimed at male gender featuring men’s fashion, business, and sports. In addition, it targets young man's wealthy as envisioned by the content of the site that features expensive gadgets, restaurants, and fashion items. Cosmopolitan Magazine is an up-market typical magazine aimed at female gender, featuring topics on careers, beauty and holidays that targets women in their mid twenties with wealth. This is so from the contents within the site that features expensive beauty products, hotel getaways and lingerie.
On the basis of comparison in terms of usability of the two websites, the report will use various specific criteria as researched by Jakob Nielsen’s as outlined below:
- Home page structure and content.
- Use of color.
- Text and fonts.
- Images.
- Level of easiness in search engine visibility.
Comparison
This report finds that the GQ - Magazine website is more user friendly as compared to the Cosmopolitan Magazine website in terms of user interactivity.
2.0 Homepage Structure and Content
The first thing someone comes across when he opens the GQ’s website is a series of pictures which include adverts on the latest fashion, trailers of movies, celebrities and world news, sports and a series of semi-naked, famous women (www.gq-magazine.co.uk). The pictures which are accompanied by descriptive text consume a larger part of the webpage. The use of picture can be visibly seen being used to capture the attention of the user who in this case is a male. From the site it is evident the use of identifiable peoples photos who are presumed to have a connection with the contents of the webpage as opposed to the use of the models photos (Nielsen & Tahir, Homepage Usability, 22). The massive use of photos and flash animation brings out a technological theme relevant to the male gender. This is emphasized more by the use of dark masculine colors, for instance, black and blue. The webpage is designed for ease in navigation to various parts of the site with the use of the graphics. It contains large and bold, black text on light backgrounds and white text on dark backgrounds. Furthermore, the page has neatly placed navigation buttons at the top. These all has been done with the user in mind and thus enhances the homepage (Nielsen & Tahir, 22).
In comparison, Cosmopolitan magazine homepage (www.cosmopolitan.co.uk) contains few technical aspects with a relatively less number of photos. The page is simple with plenty of free white space. White space enables the user to have an in depth understanding on the grouping of information and can act as a guide to the eye (Nielsen, Designing Web Usability, 18). The page is designed with bright pink text on a white background that aims at drawing the user’s attention which in this case is the female gender. Of importance to note is also how neatly the navigation bar has been placed at the top of the page to offer the user with ease of navigation within the website. Indeed Cosmopolitan magazine website is definitely designed for females with respect to use of colors pink and white. The design also reflects the attributes associated with the female gender that being, elegance, style and simplicity.
Both homepages meet the structure and content criterion for a good homepage in terms of ease into the user in mind. From the onset the content of the sites are enhanced, thus answer the questions ‘where am I?’ and ‘what does this site do?’ (Nielsen, Designing Web Usability, 167). Even though there exist contrast in terms of the design of the web pages, both designs have been employed with the target user in mind.
3.0 Use of color
4.0 Text & Font
There is a slight difference in the texts of both the sites in that GQ-Magazine website (www.gq-magazine.co.uk) uses larger, bold text in displaying its contents as opposed to a Cosmopolitan website (www.cosmopolitan.co.uk). This enhances the readability of the site as well as to draw the user to the page and enhance content. The Cosmopolitan site uses relatively smaller font size. Even though universally it has been identified that women prefer text in smaller font size, this reduces the visibility of the content within the site (Nielsen, Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design, 2002).
5.0 Ease of visibility from the search engine
Both the sites are relatively easy to search in that they both contain their names on the top of the home page thus a high level of visibility by the search engine. This enables the users to easily locate the website (Nielsen, Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design, 2011).
6.0 Images
Both the sites can be said to use images. The difference, though comes from the level of involvement of these images in advertising their contents. GQ uses images to appeal to the end users of the homepage so as to get interested in the rest of the site content. The use of semi-naked women within their site is basically a target to the male demographic (www.gq-magazine.co.uk/girls). These images will attract the user and act as an entertainment tool. GQ also utilizes the use of pop up adverts (www.gq-magazine.co.uk/) as opposed to Cosmopolitan. According to Nielsen, pop up adverts were ranked number 1 when it came to the most hated advertising technique (Nielsen, Top 10 Web Design Mistakes of 2005). These will work against them since they will be ignored by most users. On the other hand Cosmopolitan site uses relatively few images and they are small in size without a photo enlargement feature for a close-up view (www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/comps-offers/). ‘Seeing a tiny detail or assessing a texture, can give shoppers the confidence they need to place an order online.’ (Nielsen, Top 10 Web Design Mistakes of 2005).
7.0 Conclusion
The report outlines important points that a web designer ought to consider. Even though in a paradigmatic sense they may look similar and target a much more similar demographic, they remain different in their approach to serve their end users, namely men and women through the use of color, font, and images. Even though the differences, they still appeal to their target users. There is much importance in knowing the correlation between the signifier and the signified, for through this and in conjunction to applying various aspects of the sites, we are able to draw various connotations in respect to color, text and the use of images. With the knowledge of codes and conventions within the society, we are able to develop links between the signifier and the signified. This has been extensively used in relation to GQ and Cosmopolitan magazines websites.
Issues raised within the report, such as color, text or even images, will indeed be of relevance to note when designing an actual website since they pose great importance in ensuring the target users have been successfully reached and at the same time ensuring the site is appealing to them.
Works Cited
Nielsen, J. & Tahir M (2002), Homepage Usability: 50 websites deconstructed New Riders
USA.
Nielsen, J. (2000). Designing Web Usabilty: The practice and Simplicity, New Riders USA.
Nielsen, J. (2000). Designing Web Usabilty: Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design. Retrieved on
March 18, 2014 from <http://www.nngroup.com/articles/top-ten-web-design-mistakes-of-2002/>
Nielsen, J. (2011). Design Mistakes and Web Usability: Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design, 2011.
Retrieved on March 18, 2014 from <http://www.nngroup.com/articles/top-10-mistakes-web-design/>
Nielsen, J. (2005). Design Mistakes and Web Usability: Top 10 Web Design Mistakes, 2005.
Retrieved on March 18, 2014 from <http://www.nngroup.com/articles/top-ten-web-design-mistakes-of-2005/>
GQ-Magazine Website. Accessed on March 18, 2014 from <http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/>
Cosmopolitan Magazine Website. Accessed on March 18, 2014 from
<http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/>
