Chapter 7

-Your audience may not have ever been to your website before, but you want them to feel comfortable using your site when they first arrive. You want to make sure they feel like they should be there and that the site was made for them.
-The site should introduce the organization that you are presenting and what sets it apart from the others. Also, what makes it special? Two questions the author mentions are "Who lives here?" and "What do they do?" You should have your site answer these questions.
-Visual elements, like contrast, can make a page stand out if done correctly. The needs of your audience can help determine how much or how little contrast you need for your site. Different parts of your site can need different visual weights.
-Updates and announcements are important to maintaining a well-organized and interesting site, however they should not overpower the rest of the content. It starts to become confusing and just a big mess. Limit the announcements.
-As time goes by and more content is added, the visual hierarchy can change. To make something new stand out, add more contrast. Some tips for this include removing white space, adding motion, increasing or decreasing the size of the page elements, changing colors, textures, and shapes. You should do whatever works best for your site.

Chapter 6

-Website elements that are beneficial and common are: page footers, body text, links, navigation, site IDs, images , and forms. All of these aren't necessary, but do help in making a well structured and professional website.
-Site elements also help define and create a personality. For example, sites that have a lot of information usually are complicated and have many navigation options that could become confusing.
-The navigation should be distinguishable from the rest of the site. By giving it an appropriate look, the site will have less of a visual contrast between the two.
-Another important aspect of navigation, is where it lies on the page. Most commonly, visitor's can find it on the sides. Most frequently, it is positioned on the left side.
-Your viewers need to be able to read your site's content. This is where fonts are very important. Different browsers display different variations of the font. This includes font sizes. A 12 pt. font can appear smaller from one browser to the next or from a Windows machine to an Apple. Lastly, white space is also important. Spacing between lines, also called leading, can increase the readability as long as there isn't too much.
-Images are great for getting your viewer's attention. This is because they are colorful and detailed. They can express messages and communicate ideas. They do all of this very quickly. Images can make your site exciting and fun, but make sure they also serve a purpose that is meaningful to your site. Make sure the image isn't large when it comes to file size, or else it will drag your site's downloading time way down.
-Footers in sites are key when it comes to information and "revealing the origin of the content." There are certain elements that you can find in a site's footer including, copyright and privacy information: this makes sure you have authorship to the site and links to privacy information. Contact link: this is important because it shows that the site is being cared for and updated, and the webmaster can be contacted for more information about the site and their skills. Site ID: this could be a company logo that could link back to home. Last Updated Information: this includes when the site was updated last. Credits: This is when the site was constructed. Relevant Links: These links are top-level navigation, and nothing too detailed when it comes to browsing your site. It's just the basics.
-Forms help to collect information from your audience. Make sure that your forms communicate to your audience clearly and effectively. "Ask the right questions."
-When it comes to forms, organize related questions together. Divide them into sections to show the viewer that these questions are related to one another, and these are a part of a different sequence of questions. By using visual hierarchy, you can also successfully organize your questions within a form.

Mission Statement: Freedom Atlantic Tour revised

The purpose of the Atlantic Freedom Tour website is to educate and inform students, and those interested, about the Amistad history and the journey the boat will take starting in the Summer. Interaction will be important to keep viewers coming back. For example, e-mailing the student crew questions along with frequent updates will be available and be accessible through the main page. The site will also allow the students to track the ship on it's journey to important ports and then be able to access information on what events are planned regarding the Amistad and freedom of slavery. Information will also be provided on why a specific port is important to the journey. The site will also have external links that provide further information on numerous topics when necessary. There will be photos, videos, blogs, and other documentation right from the Amistad boat crew members. It will be a historical site based on the Amistad journey and bring awareness to a new generation. The structure of the site should be professional but appealing to students by using pictures and appropriate ocean colors and tones.

Chapter 5

-The way a site "feels" determines the site's personality. This "feeling" comes from the emotions that the viewer has while surfing throughout the site. It should stay consistent and clear throughout the whole site.
-Your website can create an impression on the viewer through different kinds of features. These include colors, content, and visual elements. Make sure these tell the audience what you want your site to tell successfully. It also should unify your site along with appealing to your audience. It's important to make your site distinct compared to the rest.
-You want your site to be welcoming and trustworthy. The way the site looks can trigger thoughts in the viewer's head. For example, they could think the site looks unprofessional therefore can't be trustworthy.
-Make sure you consider things like the history of your clients' branding strategy, the audience's reactions and expectations, standing out from competitors, and associations with product when trying to come up with the right look and feel of your site.
-Colors can automatically change moods and puts the audience in a certain state of mind by associating it with experiences or symbols. For example, green is "fresh and relaxing, earth. It's balanced and calm." Blue is "cool and dependable, sophisticated, sky and water. Blue is full of depth, constant yet dynamic." Orange is "strong, vital, and hot. Orange is the warmest of colors, a healing and playful hue."
-Contrasting colors are opposite one another on the color wheel. They compete with one another for attention which can make sites full of energy. Analogous colors are ones next to each other on the color wheel. They provide a pleasing and tranquil kind of site because they are close in tone. Monotones are schemes that use a variety of shades in one color, or tints. They can express simplicity but can be hard to keep interesting.
When selecting color schemes, keep in mind that there should be a dominant color. The dominant color should be the color that tells your site's story. It could get confusing if there are too many competing colors. Colors can also have symbolic meaning behind them, so keep that in mind.
-Type can also give character to your website. Different typefaces can distinguish different meanings. Script-like fonts can show gentleness or elegance whereas block lettering can be bold and strong. There are many styles and there is one that will fit in with your site's story.
-Images and visual elements are also important. Some things you should think about when deciding this are: Is this element supporting the story? Does it keep interest or distract the audience? Does it reinforce the point of view and is it consistent with the rest of the website? Images are like representations of reality. They keep the audience's attention. They can also represent something without using text.
-Shapes help define personality. For example, each one has a distinct character. Squares are stable and mechanical. Circles are alive and complete. Triangles are smooth and dynamic. Organic shapes (man-made) are spontaneous and full of life.
Textures and patterns can take over personalities if they are too complex, however they can also help to make your site smooth or rough. They're a good supporting role.
-Your site could be professional and serious, or light and playful. It could be mysterious and need exploring. The personality of the site all depends on the audience's goals. Try to keep up standard web interactions. If it's too strange, it could distract and confuse your audience and in the end, loose them.

Mission Statement: Campus Compact

The website for Connecticut's branch of Campus Compact will be a site that informs and educates college students and faculty about this beneficial organization. There will be plenty of information regarding Campus Compact and being involved in community services, along with announcements, activities, and updates. This division of Campus Compact will list the schools involved so that students can find out more about their own campus branch. The site design will be professional and mimic the national site by using the colors (maroon and teal) that appear in both the logo and the site itself. By doing this, the audience will know that the two sites are connected.

Chapter 4

-The layout of your website is important and can establish a graphic language in which your audience can understand. Many graphic elements, if portrayed consistently, can provide expectations of how your site will act for your audience. You can easily define where your navigation is located, etc.
-Visual hierarchy "creates a center of interest that attracts the viewer's attention." It also creates balance along with guiding the viewer's eyes towards the most important pieces first then gradually moves towards the least important pieces.
-A consistent graphic language can help determine your site from the rest of the sites out there. It's important that your site stands out visually but can still be easy to use and very understandable. Some consistency can include the reusing of specific colors that are linked to the company's logo.
-An average page layout starts with highest importance which is content then travels down to navigation and last the supportive information. By keeping true to this layout, your site can be very understandable to the viewer. Content usually includes page title, embedded links, and subsection titles. The navigation consists of location indicator, top-level menu options, and subnavigation options. Lastly, the supportive information includes site identifier, site wide utilities, and footer information.
-The goal of visual organization is to make the navigation obvious and the site user-friendly so that your audience is satisfied and doesn't stress over trying to find what they're looking for. Also, by using the same structure but different content, the user can understand that this is the same concept, but it is a different piece of information.

Mission Statement: Atlantic Freedom Tour

The purpose of the Atlantic Freedom Tour website is to educate and inform students, and those interested, about the Amistad history and the journey the boat will take starting in the Summer. It is a historical site that will bring awareness to a new generation. The structure of the site should be professional but appealing to students by using pictures and colors (earth and sea tones). It will be able to track the ship on it's journey to important ports. The audience will be able to access information on what events will take place at each location and why it is important to the journey. The site will also have external links that provide further information on numerous topics when necessary. There will be photos, videos, blogs, and other documentation right from the Amistad boat crew members. Interaction will be important to keep viewers coming back, for example e-mailing the student crew questions, along with frequent updates accessible through the main page.

Chapter 3

- Your website needs to run fast. The most common reason why you lose viewers is because getting to where they want to be takes too long. Quick downloading pages decrease the waiting time, which in return provides timely feedback and happy customers.
-By "staying within the established framework of the web", your audience can recognize the layout and efficiently find what it is they're looking for. Consistency is important.
- Try not to get rid of the navigational bar. If you do, your audience can become disoriented and confused. They like to be able to use the back button and then go in a different direction than they did before. By taking the bar away, you take away their desire to browse your site.
-External links are likes that provide paths outside your site that are relevant to the audience's goal.
Internal links are the most common. These are links within your site like navigational links.
Download links are links that lead to a file or document that can be displayed in a browser. They can help provide further content.
Inline links are ones that guide the viewer within the content of the current page.
Action links are ones that trigger events like submit or search.
-The site should be accessible to everyone no matter their technology background, age, or location. Your site should reach the general audience. Make sure that your site can be viewed on many different browsers including the fact that they may be an older version.