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Welcome to art education online!

Now that you are coveting a well-designed website of your own, it is extremely helpful to develop criteria through the thoughtful evaluation of existing sites. Websites should be evaluated for graphic design, site architecture or structure, and the organization of significant content before beginning the design of your own site. The focus in this column is graphic design; the other components will be discussed in subsequent issues.

Graphic design is most likely the first component you will notice, as the immediate visual impact of a home page tends to determine whether or not you explore a site in more depth. To begin your graphic design evaluation, browse through web sites that identify or award sites for their excellence in design and consider the following criteria. As you encounter features or other criteria you like, keep note of them for later use.

Web Design Award Sites
Cool Site of the Day     http://infi.net/
Too Cool!                http://toocool.com/
Websites Awards          http://websiteawards.xe.net/
Web 100                  http://www.web100.com/
Webby Awards             http://webbyawards.com/
Yahoo Pick of the Week   http://yahoo.com/picks

Criteria for Evaluating Website Graphic Design

* The purpose and source of the site is immediately identifiable. * The graphics and overall design reinforce the purpose or theme of the site. * The design format is consistent throughout the website. * The graphics are original, with little or no use of "clip art." * The navigation options are distinct and easy to use. * Images are optimized to reduce downloading time. * The use of bold type, all caps, italics, and other attention getting devices is limited.* The text is easy to read online and legible when printed out in hard copy. * There are no long lists of links or links to graphics. * There are few or no "advertising" banners.

If you would like to suggest other sites or add criteria to the above list, please e-mail me at:

[e-mail] [e-mail]