Template for content analysis, filling white space, and layout critiquing

Content analysis (weight: 10/40)

What are the main content groups found on the current GUI? Please list them below. (5 pt)

We can distinguish 3 main parts, which are:

• A page header, with the site logo, a somehow gloomy picture containing the site motto, and below we have a language selection bar.
• A menu on the left side.
• The main content area that can be divided into the following sections:
  • A header part, where we can't say for sure if it only contains mottos or true clickable links.
  • A search form allowing to find a trip
  • A footer part with some recommendations

 To your estimation, what is the percentage of the GUI that is white space? Why is that a problem? (5pt)

White spaces beeing the parts without any content... and thus wasted for nothing, seem to represent about 35% of the whole page.

A customer coming to this site, might get the impression that we do not have much to offer due to the quantity of white space. It is true that some people like light web pages, but in this case it just gives the feeling of emptyness. The site's goal are to offer travels to young people and form groups, but these ideas aren't rendered in this stark website. Especially the grouping feature that could have been added to the main page and would have filled up the site a bit.

Content Richness and Completeness (weight: 10/40)

Identify as many elements as you can think of that can be added to the GUI to enrich the content. (5 pt)

• First we could add a graphical logo, instead of this textual one. Especially as we are targeting young people, as they do like them better. Moreover a graphical logo is easier recognizable which would help advertisement. And of course.... a motto !!!
• We could also add a login form on the left part in the menu to fill up the space, and that would switch to a profile summary once logged in (photo, and brief description).
• To come back to the grouping idea, it would be useful to add something about meeting other people on the main page, or find trips similar people have already booked.
• This leads us to the idea of adaptive interface, where the site could propose trips based on the user's preferences and tastes, additionally to the 'hottest destinations' section.
• Finally one might add a quick search functionality allowing to find results based on special keewords.

From the above list, name the top 3 elements that can particularly help the site achieve its functional (business) goals. You may include some explanations for your solutions. (5 pt)

• First, one of the site's goal is to group people together, so it would be good to add the functions around the community on the website.
• Then, as the course cares a lot about recommender systems, one might add this feature too.
• Finally, a nice logo and graphics is a must for a website targeting youg people, so this would be our third choice.

Layout design (weight: 20/40)

With the newly added content, provide a grouping of contents that belong together. (5pt)

• Header: this part will contain the new logo and might as well have a motto
• Left: we will distinguish 3 groups : a login/profile section, then a section for the user's friends and third one is for the user's trips
• Content: here again we have 3 groups: the first for a recommender system for trips and friends, another for the 'hotest' trips and people, and finally the search section with the quick search and the full search

Provide a visual rendering of the new content, paying special attention to layout (proximity, alignment, repetition, contrast, typography)   (15 pt)

(see image file)