Emily+Carr+University+of+Art+and+Design

toc =Introduction= This is the website for Emily Carr University of Art and Design - a very visually attractive academic website. The first impression I have for this school through browsing their website is: this is a school that very much associated with contemporary modern art and especially design creation.

Information Architecture

 * Navigation - Navigation follows the modernism style of the website, simple and clean. Color changes and sub-menus pop up on rollover. Navigation bar stays at the top. The amount of lines changes due to user's location on the website.


 * Sidebar - a special feedback bar for browsers, it makes easier communication between visitors and website administrators.
 * Gallery samples - some sample works are on the main page, gives the first impression of what is going to be asked/ asking for students to accomplish.


 * Information & Purpose - this website contains a lot of information but cataloged into various sub-menus. It is very friendly to students and visitors. The headlines follows the main issues that students most care about. (housing, programs and admissions, etc.)
 * Information sections - the website starts its introduction by providing big student works. The overall design of this website is very geometrical. On the main page, the latest news and events, also updated student personal profiles are included.

Visual Design

 * I nterface & Information Organization :
 * 1) This website has multiple navigation systems. Information is organized in different ways of usage. For example, on the main page, information are cataloged according to their own content (the navigation bar at the top); and organized according to the requirements from the user (mainly students, the blue box that divides students into several catalogs.)
 * 2) The blue box that indicates "information for" for the need of users can be found folded on basically every page, so as the main navigation bar.
 * 3) There are only one main navigation and a secondary navigation box. The third navigation appear on the right side of the web pages. Therefore, it is easier for the users to locate information and navigate themselves through the website.
 * 4) Typeface is san-serif (maybe customized). Colors are bright and clean.


 * Images - big images are displayed on the main page in a slide show format; it can be paused and flipped through by users. Except the main page, only thumbnails are shown for the detailed information pages.
 * Style - modernism, geometrical, clean and self-explaining.
 * Colors and hierarchy - Hierarchy only shows by the headlines, menus and sub-menus. On the main page, student works have the most hierarchy. It gives a feeling of "hand-on training". There's not a lot of hierarchy for news and events. However, all the information is carefully set into catalogs. The navigation shows all the sub-content and the location you are in on the website.

Usability

 * Accessibility - This website doesn't require flash players and java attach-on for browsing. All computers can support it.
 * Effectiveness - The colors are not helping to increasing hierarchy a lot. However, there is a consistency in colors. Each color indicate a part of the information. For example, "information for" is always blue. "Profile activity" is always yellow.
 * Utility - This website is functioning well. No break links and everything stays in its place. If users are really interested, they can track every student who registered in school and see their personal website and portfolios. It benefits both the future students and current students, even graduates. If there's any client who wants a designer, they can easily follow the link and browse students' profile and portfolios.


 * This is a current students index page **

** **
 * Students are also cataloged by departments and alphabet.
 * Student's profile **
 * Student's portfolio page


 * Potential for Updates - Individual pages makes it easier to update information. According to the "site activity" and "log in", it is possible that this website is an **half-open source**. The updating of the website is connected with students' personal activities and blogs.

Content

 * Potential audiences - future students, current students, parents and visitors (including clients).
 * Presentation - Information is very straight forward and self-directing. The navigation is linear. It makes a large amount of information easier to follow.
 * Catalog - This website uses multi-navigation system for the needs of all sorts of audiences.
 * Content overview - This website contains all information from registration to graduation.

Opinions
I think this is a very typical academic website that associates with student's activity and social interaction. It is very highly functional and informative from all perspectives. This is my first time accessing this website and I'm very impressed for the functions and designs. It looks very academic but welcoming and creative. The design speaks for its content. It gives a basic feeling of the ideal environment of this school. It definitely attracts people to have a virtual tour. The information of this website includes a very broad range, from official announcements to personal information. I like the linear navigation design and color identification. It looks simple and works simple. There are still something which I think requires an appropriate information design (for example the course time table). Instead of require the user to drag a long list on the website, they can put the courses into charts or calendars to make it more straight forward. My favorite part of this website is the students catalog. Display your works is one of the most important parts for all art students. However, students' works have to be "selected" to be displayed publicly online. Therefore, the student profiles on this website largely increased the exposure possibilities of undergraduate students. If there's a client searching for a specific type of designers, more students will have the opportunities to work on new projects. I think it will be a great idea to apply this for our own website.

=Resource:= [|Emily Carr University of Art + Design]