CalArts

Benchmark Analysis CalArts - California Institute of the Arts by Amy Lin

Introduction
California Institute of the Arts is an art institute located in Valencia, California, just 30 minutes north of downtown Los Angeles. The school offers BFAs and MFAs in both the visual and performing arts, dedicated to training and nurturing the next generation of professional artists. It is constituted of six schools: Arts, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater. The site presents the most updated and accurate information in which prospective, current, and alumni students could look in to. It offers a inside look in to what students and faculty are doing within the school and what the school has to make available to student life. From understanding the admission requirement process to both undergraduate and graduate studies, to the handbooks in each department, the web site is well organized to help suit every visitors need in gathering the right information and guidance. Administrative and teaching faculty could also log in and check emails, and for those looking for employment in the school, information is also accessed through the website. Other visitors include the outside community of the arts scene. Visitors and presenters coming in around the globe will also see how CalArts stand in the international sphere. It is a place where the most updated and recent information of CalArts come together to a destination. ===** When users first step in to the website, there is a smooth transition of images that slowly forms a mosaic of recent news and events that are going on within the school's community. This is the first users see without having to scroll sideways or down for more information. The website is given a consistent layout already. Vibrant coloured photographs fill the page and from time to time switches to different images. It gives the feeling that recent information of events and news are always updated frequently and the popping in and out of images help make it stand out. I'm not sure why there are different sizes to these mosaic boxed images. Perhaps the bigger the image, the more recent it is. **=== ===** Information is easily accessible through the navigation links at the top of the site. There is no confusion to where you are able to find the information you need. Everything is up there and neatly categorized. The academics leads to programs and degrees, course descriptions and schedules, registration, and resources for people who are finding their way in to graduation or are curious to see how the school system works. Once users click on a certain main category, a yellow highlight emphasizes they are in that category in which sections appear on the left hand side to further inform the user of what CalArts has to offer. The highlight helps to inform which section they are presently at. **===
 * Information Architecture and Usability**

The site is basically divided in to a cliche, but very functional, type of website in that the navigation of main categories is on the top, the sub categories are on the left hand side, while the right hand side encompassing a huge portion is where the content lays. The navigation on the top with the title and search bar is carried throughout the entire site. It forms a cohesiveness and togetherness than having users find separate navigation bars. Background is very similar to the navigation on the top. Blue stripes are slanted to the right in the navigation, while the lower half of the website steers left in green stripes. Even with some of its typography in the content and navigation to be both san serif and serif, the site still holds a consistent layout because of its overall identity. This brings a well-integrated unity that is balanced through the overall site. Visual vocabulary regarding the usage of colour is well determined by the resonating and dynamic colours. It gives a school its vibrancy, liveliness, and exciting character, and what it has to offer to everyone.
 * Visual Design**



Content
The categories in which they call themselves such as "Calendar", "Library", "Student Life", etc, are really straight to the point. It is meant to be clear and not meant to be ambiguous. Users do not have to search through the entire site to find what they need. The titles are there to help identify what they are searching for in a recognizable manner. They have prioritized and given a content hierarchy of what is going to be called in the main categories so that subcategories on the left hand side will also fit under the main category. This prevents users from questioning where unrelated content is situated.

The site offers a limited place where you are able to look at existing student work, and more would be helpful to further inform others.

**Synthesis**
=== Through the examination of the website's functionality, usability, and visual vocabulary, it stands out as one that is very much informative to a wide ranging users of all ages. The colours in the combination of elements of photographs and content is effective and straight to the point. It is great to see images on every page to support the idea that this is an art space where students can collaborate with each other, and where art can bloom within a fostering community of arts. Intuitive. ===

Cited Material
All images extracted from CalArts