Writing in/of/through the ether

My Take on the ONeill Website

I would like to start out by agreeing with Shawn and Lindsey that the graphics and aesthetic layout of the site are nice. I think they've chosen very compelling photos, and I do think that the simplicity of the site's appearance meshes well with the O'Neill's minimalist theater philosophy. But I do have some complaints about the site.

Since we've been discussing images....shouldn't all websites have roll-over text/Alt tags that pop up text descriptions of images for viewers with text browsers? (Not that there can be too many of those users, but aren't the Alt tags standard?)

Also, it REALLY bothers me that the round buttons at the top of each page are not displayed heirarchically at all. To me, it is very confusing.

For example, on the Home Page, the buttons for subpages are listed across the top. "O'Neill Programs, National Theater Institute, Director's Bio, Notable Alumni, Alumni Mailing List, & Photo Archive."

If I click on O'Neill Programs, I am taken to that subpage. OK so far. But on the subpage, there is a row of buttons across the top that is identical to the row of buttons across the home page. But the first button now is the heading of the subpage I'm on (O'Neill Programs). The rest are now subpages of this subpage. They are all listed equally across the top.

The way this looks is that the buttons on the top of the Programs Page must be the same buttons that were on the top of the Home Page. Not true. They are a whole new set of options. And the first one is not really an option, b/c that's where you are now.

I really think that websites ought to have consistent options, a way to see breadcrumbs of where you've been.

I also have some other questions related to information architecture, but I guess this is becoming a very long post. Mainly, I would like to see the typos corrected, and I would like to know why information is organized like it is. (i.e. Why is the page on Monte Cristo cottage listed with the O'Neill's programs? The other items listed seem to all be conferences, workshops, etc. Programs.)

I love the Photo Archive!!!!!

posted by Anonymous @ 9:52 AM