Team 1:
Effective:
- The search bar is easy to find and use.
- I thought that it was a good idea to have the latest issue on the home page, since that way people who are visiting the website for the first time can jump right into reading the issues.
- The header and oak leaf logo are simplistic and visual pleasing to see.
- The inclusion of the event countdown is also something that I really enjoyed because it allows the viewers to get more involved.
- I like how there is an option on the side to give your email, so you can follow Greenspring Review and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Needs Improvement:
- The contact info on the side is something that can be overlooked, which could be a problem for someone who wants to get in touch with the Greenspring Review staff.
- The background with the books is distracting and takes away from the content of the page.
- I think the video of Greenspring Campus should have been on the Home page, since you could overlook it on the About Us page.
- You can’t directly submit your work through the website.
- The Issues page seems dull.
Team 2
Effective:
- Unlike the previous team, this team had a way to submit the work directly from the website.
- The quotes on the About page from the editors allows the viewers to get a chance to glimpse at their personalities. It’s nice to know about the people who work on the literary magazine, especially since the editors are fellow students.
- I enjoy that there are images associated with each writing piece, since it becomes more visually appealing.
- I’m glad that they included a small portion of the writing underneath each written work because it entices the readers to read more.
- I like that there is a drop-down menu for the Issues tab in order to see the different genres. This makes things quicker and more efficient, since now, I don’t have to click on the Issues page in order to look at the different genres that I want to view.
Needs Improvement:
- There is no search bar.
- The font under the featured issues on the Home page is hard to read. I suggest changing the font color from grey to black. I also suggest making the font bigger.
- On the Home page, the heading and the logo take up most of the space. The rest of the Home page is bleak in comparison. There is too much white space.
- Even though the logo creates a connection to Steven University, for someone who is visiting the website for the first time, they will have no idea what the logo is supposed to be, since it isn’t that distinguishable.
- On the About page, under the picture, there should have been a small description that states each person’s name from left to right.
Team 3
Effective:
- I enjoy the Facebook feed on the side. This allows viewers to interact more with Greenspring Review.
- I like how the first thing you see on the Home page is what’s new, since it allows viewers to get an idea about the latest activities and events.
- I thought the Home page was interactive with the viewer by displaying what’s new, the featured poet, and the featured artist.
- The font is easy to read, and the headings aren’t too big or too small in comparison to the text.
- I enjoyed the circular pictures of the editors because it seemed more creative and unique.
Needs Improvement:
- The side bar was repetitive and some of the categories that went on the side bar could have gone on the top bar such as the what’s new category.
- I can’t seem to find the contact information, which means that viewers who want to get into contact with the Greenspring Review wouldn’t know how.
- On the Submissions/Guidelines page, I thought that the information about what the Greenspring Review is looking for should come before the part where you submit your work.
- Besides the Facebook page, the website has nothing to connect it back to Stevenson University. The color schematic should have been green instead of blue, so that it would at least match the Stevenson’s color scheme.
- The header image doesn’t accurately represent Greenspring Review, since Greenspring Review includes more than just pieces of writing.