Critiquing Design

Bad	Good	Examples
No Title	Meaningful title in Title Bar	Example
ALL CAPS TEXT	Caps used only when necessary
Inconsistent color scheme from page to page	Consistent color scheme and graphics - user knows he/she is still in site
Hard to read text on dark backgrounds/poor usage of white-space	Use white or light colored backgrounds and dark text and plenty of white-space - use graphics, link colors, cell backgrounds to add color	Example
Mixed Alignments/Typography	Consistent Alignments and Typography	Example
Spelling and Grammatical errors	Writing is clear and comprehensible
Broken links or image references	All links work - test regularly	Example
Sideways scrolling	Limited vertical scrolling/no horizontal scrolling; design page for acceptable monitor size (800x600dpi)	Example
Slow loading	Images and other media optimized for quick loading
Use of multiple effects on graphics/graphics pixelated or fuzzy looking	Limit use of effects (bevel, drop shadow), clear, crisp graphics convey clarity	Example
Annoying/unnecessary animations/sounds	No distracting graphics/animations/sounds	Example
No way to contact company/webmaster	Contact info. or link on every page
Information cluttered on page	Page layout is uncluttered and pleasing to the eye	Example
Hard to find information	Redundant links, search engines, site maps, consistent navigation on each page
Static, unchanging, or outdated information; unable to ascertain date updated	Dynamic, updated content; prominent use of date last updated	Example

Some Well-designed sites:

Beak N Eye, Davenport, IA - http://www.beakneye.org/
Garfield Messenger, Seattle, WA - http://www.garfieldmessenger.com/

myhighschooljournalism.org sites:

CyberPlainsman, Laramie High School, WY- good usage
The Stand, Galt, CA - poor usage