EVALUATING WEB DESIGN

Expository writing
 Chapter assignment

Purpose: To learn what makes a commercial

website effective/successful.
Task: Select and describe three or four
characteristics of an effective commercial
website and compare and contrast two
commercial web pages that advertise two
brands of the same product /two-page
expository essay, 500-1000 words/
EXPOSITORY WRITING

• Purely informational, objective writing

• Written to inform, explain, or describe
• Author assumes the reader has no prior
knowledge of the topic
• Unlike argumentative/persuasive writing, the
primary goal of expository writing is to deliver
information about the topic, not to persuade
the reader
Essay must include:
• An introductory paragraph
• A background paragraph
• Two or three body paragraphs
• A concluding paragraph
• Two in-text references (one for each website)
 Title of the Essay
Introduction /50-75 words/
– A general introduction of the topic to the reader
– A small amount of information about the topic that will
interest the reader/attention grabber/hook
– The thesis statement (the main idea of the essay)
Background Paragraph /125-175 words; each topic sentence
relates to one or more ideas in the thesis/
– Necessary information about the topic; for example,
• a brief history of an object or idea or issue
• definitions of key terms about the topic
– Explanation of why and/or how you researched the topic
• describes a survey you designed/administered
• describes an interview you designed/conducted
Body Paragraphs (2-4 total) /125-175 words/: Each contains:
– A topic sentence (the main idea of the paragraph)
• 1-3 sentences about main points (each relates to one of the
ideas in the topic sentence)
• evidence and support for each main point (facts, examples,
descriptions, personal experience, expert opinions)
• a concluding sentence
• (each body paragraph explains, defines, and/or illustrates one
or more ideas in the topic sentence)
Conclusion (summarizes, predicts, recommends, and/or offers a
solution) /50-75 words/
 Functions of the introduction

– Introduce readers to the topic

– Present some interesting information about
the topic to engage the readers/Hook
– Present the thesis statement
Funnel introduction
On November 14, 1963, a few miles off
the southern coast of Iceland, the crew of a
fishing boat noticed smoke on the horizon.
Thinking that another fishing boat was on
fire, they went to investigate. When they got
closer, they discovered that the smoke was
not from a boat on fire; rather, it was from
an undersea volcano about to erupt. The
next day, ash, cinders, and pumice were
blown 1,000 feet into the air. The fisherman
had witnessed a rare event, the violent birth
of an island. The volcano continued to erupt
for about four years, eventually creating an
island about one square mile in area and 560
feet in height. The birth of Surtsey, as the
island is named, offered scientists an
extraordinary opportunity to learn how life
takes hold on a sterile landmass.
 Introduction: Head and Shoulders
Nowadays everyone is using webpages for one reason or another. Webpages
are a great way for companies to advertise their products and for people to shop
and buy products without spending hours in stores. Some people do not know
much about the different ways webpages can be designed. However, they do
know when a certain page is frustrating to use or access. lnetDzine, a Dot Com
firm that specializes in website design for the AEC (Architecture, Engineering &
Construction) industry, stresses the importance of making websites easy to
navigate ("What Makes," 2003). Users need to be able to move easily between
pages, and the homepage and featured pages should be easily accessed from any
page on the website. Therefore, when I evaluated two websites that advertised
two brands of shampoo, I looked at their user friendliness, easy access, and
information; based on these criteria, the Head & Shoulders website
(headandshoulders.com) proved superior to the Herbal Essence website
(herbalessence.com).
References
Head & Shoulders website. (2004). Retrieved October 4,2004 from
http://wwwheadandshoulders.com/usa/mai n.asp
Herbal Essence website. (2004). Retrieved October 4,2004from http://www.herba
lessences.com/home.asp
What makes a website successful. (2003). lnetDzine. Retrieved October 4, 2004 from
http://www.inetdzine.com/success.asp
 Analyzing thesis statements
The thesis statement is important because:
It helps the writer focus the essay ( as a camera
focuses a photograph)
Helps to create topic sentences for the body
paragraphs
Tells the reader early in the essay the main idea of that
essay
Gives the reader enough information to predict the
main ideas of the paragraphs by asking question the
writer is expected to answer.
 Thesis statement
 The status of women in Xanadu has changed remarkably in
recent years due to increased educational opportunities and
changes in the country’s laws.
Probably number of body paragraphs
______________________________
 The status of women in Xanadu has improved remarkably in
recent years in the areas of economic independence,
political rights, educational opportunities, and social status.
Probably number of body paragraphs
______________________________
 Thesis statement

Complete the following thesis statements by

adding subtopics to them. Be sure to check your
sentences for PARALLEL FORM.
1. A computer is necessary for students for three
reasons:________________________________
_____
2. Students have a difficult time taking notes in
class due to
________________________________ .
3. Successful politicians have the following
qualities:
__________________________________ .
 Analyzing thesis statements
• What makes a website visually
appealing?
The Adidas website
• How are both websites visually
and the Nike website are appealing?
equally appealing • Why is website information
visually, but the Adidas important?
website provides more • What information is given by
information and is more both websites?
• What additional information
user friendly.
does Website A provide?
• How is a website user friendly?
• How is Website A more user
friendly than Website B?
 Analyzing thesis statements
• Although the Apple • Questions the writer will
computer website (A) is answer:
more informative, the  What does Apple’s web look
Dell computer website like?
 Why is it more informative?
(B) has better graphics
 What information is on the
and more interesting
web?
links.  What does Dell look like?
 Why are its graphics better?
 What do the graphics look
like?
 What are links?
 Why are they important?
 The Background Paragraph

– Help readers understand the essay topic and

to prepare them for the rest of the essay.
– Give you the opportunity to demonstrate
your ability to collect and organize
information from outside sources.
 The Background Paragraph
1. Definitions of key terms
2. A brief description of the topic (example: When creating a
website,
designers focus on the way a website is structured, where the
images and text are placed on each webpage, what font is used,
and what links are provided.)
3. Scientific or technical information
(example: "jpeg" images are faster and easier to download than
'bmp" images because they take less computer memory.)
4. Explanations of why/how you researched the topic.
5. Evidence that a problem exists (example: In a recent study,
researches found that inexperienced website designers tend to
include more text in their webpages than experienced designers.)
6. Historical information about the topic (example: Tim Berners-Lee
invented the World Wide Web in 1991.)
 The Best Four-Wheeler

I selected three criteria to evaluate the websites for the Daimler Chrysler
Jeep Liberty (website A) and the Landrover (website B). The first criterion is
accessibility. According to Chuck Letorneau accessibility means that “anyone
using any kind of Web browsing technology must be able to visit any site and
get a full and complete understanding of the information contained there, as
well as have the full and complete ability to interact with the site"
(Letourneau,2003).The second criterion I chose is appearance. In order for a
website to be successful, it must first appeal to users on a visual level. Links is
the last criterion that I selected. A good website will connect to other webpages
or websites through hypertext (links). Links provide important information
about the product on the main website and about other company products.
References
Daimler-Chrysler website. (2004). Retrieved October 1,2004 from http://www.dai m
lerch rysler.com/dccom
Landrover website. (2004). Retrieved October 1, 2004 from http://www.land
rover.com/default.htm
Letourneau, C. (2004). AccessibleWeb design. Retrieved October 1, 2004 from
http://www.starl in gweb.com/webac.htm
 Concluding Paragraph

• Signals the end of the essay/Transition

signal.
• No new ideas
• Reminds your reader of your main
points, which you can do in one of two
ways: You can
• summarize your subtopics.
• paraphrase your thesis.
 Concluding techniques
• Make a prediction.
We have seen how the costs of attending
college have been rising while, at the same
time, sources of financial aid for students have
been disappearing. If this trend continues,
fewer and fewer families will be able to send
their children through four years of college.
 Concluding techniques
Suggest a solution, make a recommendation
In conclusion, an effective website must provide clear
and accessible information, eye-catching graphics, and
"freebies." The website for L'Oreal makeup products
follows these criteria successfully. As a consequence, it is
more effective than the Maybelline site, which does not
always give clear information and does not offer any free
samples. lf the Maybelline website were to give out some
"freebies" and improve the quality and quantity of its
product information, then it would become as effective as
L'Oreal's website.
 Concluding techniques

In summary, the Skiershop website is superior to Al's

Ski Equipment Barn website because of its user
friendliness and excellent links. Skiershop's attractive
layout and color choice also make this website stand
out more compared to Equipment Barn's website. I
recommend that Equipment Barn improve its website
by adding more links and updating them regularly. To
attract more users, this company should also simplify
the website's layout and change its color scheme.
Purple just does not seem to work with ski equipment!
I am sure that these changes would attract more
shoppers.
 Quotations
Quotations Explanations
According to William and 1. The introductory phrase
Tollett, (according to) and report verb (state) are
followed by a comma.
"The placement, size, 2. The words inside the quotation
format, and marks are exactly the same as the original
resolution of the images are text.
important components in 3. The last quotation mark comes
after the period (.").
website design" (William 4. When the quotation is a complete
and Tollett, 2000). sentence, it begins with a capital
The authors state,"A key letter ("The ..." A ...').
component when 5. lf available, the page number and
evaluating contrast is to publication date of the cited source are put in
parentheses at the end of the quotation.
determine the focal point or 6. If the authors are not introduced
main dominating feature of before the quotation, their last names are
the page“ (William and included in the parentheses.
Tollett, 2000). 7. The period comes AFTER the closing
parenthesis.
Quotations Explanations
The authors affirm that one of the When the quotation is a phrase,
most important elements in contrast not a complete sentence:
is "the focal point or main dominating 1. The first letter of the first word is
feature of the page" (William and not capitalized (the focal
Tollett,2000). point . . .)
When evaluating websites, we should 2. The report verb (affirm) is
consider "the placement, size, format, generally followed by that.
and resolution" of graphics and When the quotation is in the
images (William and Tollett,2000). middle of a sentence, no period
is necessary before the last
quotation mark (. . . resolution").
 Exc 19
Example:
As Goff and Wheeler explain,"Tables allow Web designers to
organize and group information.”
A. According to Jeff Peach, a well-known Web design expert,
"The placement, size, format and resolution of the images are
important components in website design”.
B. As William and Tollett state, A key component when
evaluating contrast is to determine the focal point or
main dominating feature of the page."
C. The authors affirm that one of the most important
elements in contrast is "the focal point or main
dominating feature of the page.
D. When evaluating websites, we should consider the
placement, size, format, and resolution of graphics and
images.