acsinclair — Tue, 30 Mar 2004 23:49:58 +0000

Okay, I'll bite...my favorite website is:

I love everything about this site, from colors, to navigation, to their amazing CONTENT. I probably visit this site more than any other on the web. I like that they offer different site-styles for accessibility reasons (and not just to change the site graphics).

And what I like most of all...is that even though their site uses tons of "cutting-edge" technology, their site still VALIDATES. Which is more than can be said for Yahoo or Amazon.

Cheers,
Erica

Megan — Tue, 30 Mar 2004 14:22:18 +0000

I agree, Abhi. I would say that the site chrober posted is weak because there's too much on the screen and it may be hard to find certain information. Some of it is so far down the screen that it may never be seen by most users.

Anyway, no need to critique here. I think that what makes a site good really depends a lot on its intended message. I also think that a lot of people fail to distinguish between what they personally like and what is good.

Bad mechanics and good mechanics

Abhishek Reddy — Tue, 30 Mar 2004 06:56:24 +0000

Chroder wrote: A site needs to be pleasant to look at and easy to navigate. It could have all the content in the world, and all of it top notch, but if its maroon text on a black background with hard to follow navigation -- its not very good.

You're absolutely right. If a dark on dark combination, as you mention, is unreadable, the information is not effectively delivered.

I'm not saying that any permutation of design mechanics is appreciable, as if there is some content that would perfectly marry with it. Bottom line is design goals centre usually on delivery of information. If that's not met, the design fails. If that is met, how "good" it is, is a matter of opinion (mostly).

Chroder — Tue, 30 Mar 2004 00:07:55 +0000

I've always like LinuxCult in terms of design/infomation/navigation/usability.

teammatt3 — Mon, 29 Mar 2004 23:51:32 +0000

ok, so whats your favorite site?

Chroder — Mon, 29 Mar 2004 20:49:48 +0000

A site needs to be pleasant to look at and easy to navigate. It could have all the content in the world, and all of it top notch, but if its maroon text on a black background with hard to follow navigation -- its not very good.

Abhishek Reddy — Mon, 29 Mar 2004 06:20:04 +0000

heh. I disagree with your criteria. What makes a site good is that it achieves its goals, and how effectively it does that. Colours, design, navigation, and all that are merely mechanical. Generally, if the site conveys information effectively and with little hassle, it is good. What colours, design or navigation is used depends on what information is being presented.

If you're asking which site has the best mechanics, then it can still be complicated. When people see rich text and graphics, there is usually an emotional slant somewhere, so it can be quite subjective.