Because I am, let's just say, "mildly obsessed" with Hawaii and everything Hawaiian, I closely follow the largest state newspaper The Honolulu Advertiser. I've read the paper for years because I've greatly enjoyed reading it on the beach throughout the 17 times that I have been there. I visit their website nearly every day to keep up with what is going on in Hawaii. I always enjoyed the articles that I found on the website; however, I felt that the homepage was always very VERY overwhelming. It was mostly red font on a white background with story titles listed in a column next to one rotating set of pictures and headlines. However, the numerous listings of articles and format made the website a little more difficult to focus on comfortably.
Within the last couple of weeks, I was shocked to notice that the website, which hasn't been changed since I can remember, had altered its format completely. It has improved tremendously. The colors have changed to blue, yellow, and white which are definitely more calming and inviting. Also the font has changed from red to brown and the number of stories posted on the homepage has definitely been minimized compared to how it was.
This drastic website change made me realize how much website aesthetics can influence the desire to stay on that page. It is vital that any news organization, print or broadcast, continuously update their website. A website should never be static, and if more calming, easier-to-read formats can be discovered, they should be utilized. It definitely changes the way that people read the entire page and respond to it. So I commend my favorite newspaper on these much needed changes!
No comments:
Post a Comment