While working on the earlier posts with tutorials taken from Jakob Nielsen's website, I couldn't help but create own very own judgments on the (what I thought was) horrible HTML-based layout. It was beyond appealing, I hated staying for long and I found myself running back to ICanHasCheezburger.com to laugh at cats.
Jakob Nielsen is an accomplished web designer as seen here on the cover of .net magazineSource: UseIt.com
UseIt.com, Jakob Nielsen's website looks dull and unattractiveSource: UseIt.com
When I got back on track to write this blog, I scoured through the internet to figure out why Jakob Nielsen, the highly acclaimed web designer, had used his layout despite knowing how a good or fancy it could look. In an interview with The Guardian, Nielsen was said to be "the man that some web designers love to hate", referring to his website. But why is he a guru?
Nielsen thinks of download time, because it "rules the net" (UseIt.com, 2007). Graphics (images, flash, etc.) would add on to the size of the page, causing a slow page load hence affecting the attention of the reader. "Users do not keep their attention on the page if downloading exceeds 10 seconds, corresponding to 60 KB at modem speed. Keeping below these size limits rules out most graphics" (UseIt.com, 2007).
In fact, he shared a little about "upsetting people" because it would "create an impact" (The Guardian, 2007). Nielsen keeps his website simple and concise without adding anything irrelevant, because form preceeds flaunt and his readers know it.
Sure, it might not be the prettiest thing on the internet but it is user-friendly as he used colour tones to create some salience in the website, and some white space and colours again to assist to the framing of elements in the document so the reader can differentiate one to another (Kress & van Leeuwen 1998, p. 188). He uses sans-serif fonts as well, as it is easy on the readers' eyes when it comes to an online document.
However, he could make some changes to make it even more user friendly with margins on the left and right sides, as well as different fonts to differentiate between sections.
Sure, it might not be the prettiest thing on the internet but it is user-friendly as he used colour tones to create some salience in the website, and some white space and colours again to assist to the framing of elements in the document so the reader can differentiate one to another (Kress & van Leeuwen 1998, p. 188). He uses sans-serif fonts as well, as it is easy on the readers' eyes when it comes to an online document.
However, he could make some changes to make it even more user friendly with margins on the left and right sides, as well as different fonts to differentiate between sections.
References
Nielsen J., Why No Graphics, UseIt.com, viewed 11 November 2008,
<http://www.useit.com/about/nographics.html>
The web design guru that web designers love to hate, Guardian.co.uk, viewed 11 November 2008,
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/aug/09/guardianweeklytechnologysection.interviews>
Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T., 1998, Chapter 7: Front pages : (the critical) analysis of newspaper layout, Approaches to media discourse, Blackwell, Oxford.
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