On any given school night, a student such as myself may be cracking open a textbook in hopes of absorbing the valuable information within its tightly bound pages. However, if the text has not been organized well, the student will quickly zone out after just a few minutes of staring at hundreds of clumps of letters. For this reason, written information is best conveyed when it is organized efficiently. The page must direct the reader’s eyes to move from one location to another, must be easy to read, and should include images to stimulate interest as well as to cater to visual learners. For this reason, Ms. Magazine online is an exemplary website from which to obtain information about feminist news; it keeps one’s attention effectively and conveys information clearly.For instance, the homepage of Ms. Magazine is separated into three clear columns—the first is a sidebar on the left which lists the different features of the website, the second is a middle column that boasts Ms. Magazine’s latest news stories and photos, and the third column on the right is split into small blocks of information about items such as upcoming events, the story that the Magazine deems to be its most significant from its latest issue, interesting articles from the archives, etc. The set-up of this homepage is visually effective because it immediately guides a viewer’s eyes from the Ms. logo in the upper left-hand corner to the centered logo “MORE THAN A MAGAZINE—A MOVEMENT,” then to the center column, where bold headlines and related images convey important information and news. After seeing this and presumably glancing over the headlines, the reader’s eyes travel to the left, where they can see all the different options that they will have while exploring the website further. Lastly, as an afterthought, the reader will briefly glance at the blocks of information on the right, which contain the least important or relevant information. Thanks to this clear and organized website format, the reader notices information in order of importance and is enticed to keep viewing the site because of the bold blue and red headlines and various photos.
When exploring the interior of the website, a reader will find the same degree of organization and efficiency. When a user clicks on “FEMINIST DAILY WIRE,” for instance, the website directs them to a page that is headed with the centered words, “NEWSBRIEFS ARTICLES” and then contains a list of all of the Magazine’s news stories in a top-down pattern, the most recent residing at the top of the list. The ways in which the dates, names of the articles, and article summaries are organized on the page are visually effective because all the dates are italicized and precede the titles, which are typed in large blue font to indicate that they are the most important words on the page. Finally, the titles are followed by brief summaries written in small black font so as not to take attention away from the article titles. Although there are no images on this page, the text is aesthetically organized to convey information effectively and is, thus, visually effective.
A page that is also visually effective because it is ripe with images is the Ms. Magazine Cruise information page. The site is layered on the top with small pictures of cruise boats, palm tree-laden islands, ocean views and delicious delicacies, and three pictures—two small and one large—as well as large, bold text that advertises the cruise (which, interestingly enough, sets sail to engage participants in both relaxation and political discussions) share the center of the page. One’s eyes are first drawn to the text and then move to the left to feast on the colorful, enticing photographs. This page exudes tranquility and exotic fun so thoroughly that it is difficult not to want to enjoy the Magazine’s socially conscious cruise. In addition, on the left is again a top-down tool bar that indicates all the different areas of information pertaining to the cruise that a user could possibly be looking for—program schedules, speakers, port info, passport requirements, etc. This is effective in that it is clear and easy, and directs the reader’s eye.
Ms. Magazine is a great example of a source that successfully communicates information visually. I find it simple and precise; engaging, but not too colorful or distracting in any other way. It will be one of the most important websites that I will refer to while blogging this semester, and I am thrilled that the website’s text and images have been organized so efficiently.
