Design

I chose the Pensacola Historical Society's website as an example of bad design. Their site breaks almost all guidelines regarding alignment, proximity and repetition. Alignment is nearly non-existent. The site is made up of a patchwork of tables with no discernable pattern. Often the proximity between these elements is poorly done as well. There are awkwardly spaced gaps between blocks of text and the various tables. Also, there is little connecting this main page to the sub-pages of the site. It is often difficult to tell whether or not you are still on their site or have clicked out of it somehow. Perhaps the most frustrating thing about this site is the lack of any real historical information on Pensacola.

The California Historical Society's website is an example of good design. The whole site is viewable without scrolling when it loads. The alignment is well done which keeps the initial visual impression simple and clean. Each sub-page of the site is consistent with the design elements implemented on the main page giving the site a repetitious consistency. Also, the text is easy to read, there are no awkward proximity issues and there is actual historical information about the state on the site.