Design for Screen: Design Experiments

Initial experiments looked at  how to prompt the viewer to scroll down by creating a grid system based on the width of 136. Looking at placing the small about section in the active zone (see figure 1) to further prompt users to scroll down or placing in on the next page (see figure 2) and relying on the instinctual need to scroll down to find information. Personally I feel the use of adhering to the page fold is more successful as the site speaks to a design literate community who are likely to scroll down instinctively.

It was suggested during feedback to have the information on the home page (see figures 3-6) so it would be the first thing viewers would see allowing the meaning of the site to be conveyed immediately. However upon reflection I feel the experimentations below are too crowded as more negative space, seen in figures 7-11 is a more successful approach. The use of negative space allows the viewer to be drawn to the 136 initially following it down the information which prompts the user to scroll down further (see figures 8-11). This combination of a more spacious layout allows the message of the site to be conveyed immediately without overwhelming the audience.

In relation to the navigation of the site the placement of room 136 on each side as seen in figures 8 and 9 allow the user to click and jump back to the home page if needed. Due to the simplicity of the site few navigational tools are needed due to the limited pages. Upon receiving feedback on the placement of this navigational aspect it was found that a single room 136 on the right hand side would be more effective as it would mimic the placement of a scroll bar. Furthermore in relation to navigational tools the use of a small refinement bar below the adjectives allows users to refine there search via a specific design discipline, which will highlight the students who fit into that category. This allows for further refinement as due to the number of students on the course the viewer may find it hard to find specific students that relate to them.   

Figure 11 depicts the most popular layout based on peer-to-peer feedback as the use of creating a grid system from the placement of the information below the 6 creates a consistant layout throughout the site allowing viewers to know where the information is going to appear each time they chose a new student. Furthermore the use of unstructured adjectives allows for greater exploration by the user, with the opportunity to refine by using the bar bellow. Many found placing the refinement options within the same grid system as the main information given created an awkward and unappealing aesthetic to the sight and found the placement below was much easier to navigate and recognise.

Figure 1

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Figure 3

Figure 6

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Figure 7

Figure 10 

Figure 8 

Figure 9 

Figure 11