Month: November 2005

Organizing thumbnail images to increase ease of use. Problem You need to let a user choose among a set of disorganized thumbnails. Solution Use one of the following four methods to increase readability and ease of use: Ordered grid. If you lay thumbnails out within a strictly ordered grid, they will become more manageable. Animated

Bringing 3D images to life through animation. Problem You can’t adequately show a 3D object or scene on your web site. Solution Allow the visitor to rotate, spin, or navigate a 3D world on screen, using one of two techiniques: Pre-render. You can make a pre-recorded animation in the form of movie clip; use an

Enlarging images to provide visitors with more detail. Problem A computer monitor has low resolution, which can make detail difficult to see. Solution Allow visitors to zoom into an image using one of the following methods: An enlarge button. An easy method is to put a small “Enlarge” button next to an image. In current

Capturing interest with personal comments. Problem You need to lend a sense of context and mood to your web site. Solution Add a short audio clip that incorporates a personal recount or reflection. Include volume control, play/pause, and restart options. Discussion Personal comments are invariably more interesting and engaging that factual monologues. A simple phrase

Developing a narrative to engage visitors. Problem Your web site isn’t enticing and engaging to visitors. Solution Maintain a sense of realism and narrative to your website. Discussion Adding multimedia, such as commentary from a noted expert, can engender realism. Narrative can be maintained by removing extra information from the core presentation, and allowing visitors