Stylistically, the new site is certainly an improvement over the old site.
However, I have also notice that speed is an issue. It's not horrible, but
there are things that can be done to improve the sites loading speed.
Several smaller graphics do load faster than a few larger ones. I noticed
that you used .jpeg graphics where .gifs would load faster. The black and
white image map, for instance, could be a two-color gif (less colors means
smaller file size). You could also ditch the map idea and use smaller
"buttons" to achieve the same effect. These "buttons" could look exactly
the same as what you have now, but you would eliminate the loading of one
large file--loading several smaller ones instead. Another option is to
choose the table cell's background as black, and use white text instead of
graphics. It looks like you've used an Arial font (which most people have
on their computers) You could just use the <FONT FACE="Arial"> tag to
achieve a similar effect.
The large color graphic on the main page (new.jpg) which welcomes surfers
to the homepage could be split into four smaller files that, when loaded,
appear as a single picture. This is done with tables (which you have
already employed).
I would also recommend using ALT tags (e.g. ALT="Alumni") for the graphic
links so that if they do not load, the surfer would be able to navigate the
site without the graphics at all.
Another way to reduce the size of graphics files is with a program such as
Ulead's Smart Saver. With this program (available as shareware), you can
shrink the size of graphics files. I found this program to be very effective.
My comments in response to Behr:
>Why is "About the new page" so prominent? Who cares?
Just a thought here, but prospective students might visit NIU's sight
before they visit the school. Wouldn't it be nice make a good first
impression? Granted, no one should choose a school based on it's web page,
but a boring page might give students the impression that NIU is a boring
place. I'm sure that NIU spends a great deal of money on its brochures and
such to attract students . . . shouldn't we try to make our page attractive
too?
>Why are the imagemaps duplicated in ASCII below? Like driving a Porsche
with a sidecar.
Believe it or not, some people prefer to browse without graphics. You're
site, Eric, would be a dream for this type of surfer. I think that it's a
good idea to have the sidecars. Besides, without the use of ALT tags, this
would be the only way a surfer could effectively navigate the site if the
graphics fail to load. For those who are too impatient for the graphics to
load, this is another quick way to get from point A to point B.
>The whole thing is wider than the default Netscape window on all platforms
I tried.
One should design sites so that they are visible without scrolling left to
right. I design sites so that they look good on a computer that has a
resolution of at least 800x600. The test sight was designed to look good
at this resolution. Unfortunately, many of the lab computers here at NIU
display at 640x480. Frankly, I think that this resolution is
inadequate--but computers that support higher resolutions cost money. I
agree that the site should fit the screens of most NIU computers--bummer.
>In the Sun version the photos are narrower than the top and bottom bars,
>very ugly (probably Netscape bug, but why not have a single image and
>avoid the alignment/scaling).
I noticed this too . . . it does stick out. I viewed the page with
Netscape 4 and IE4. What you need is a graphic that fills this table
cell's space (you could also enlarge the graphic that you have to fill the
cell). If you don't want to do that, you might play with centering the
graphic in the cell and creating a black or red background--a quick fix
that might look neat.
>I know I'm nitpicking, but let me repeat myself: let the form follow
>function! The Web is about distributing information, not "presenting"
>it.
In my humble opinion, you are wrong. Gophers were about distributing
information. The web pages (over the past few years) have become THE way to
present your organization, business, or educational facility and to present
it well. There is, perhaps, no better way to present yourself in a more
cost-effective manner. Even the IRS has a sight that distributes it's
information (and forms) in an attractive (dare I say "flashy") style. Take
a look at other educational sites on the web. You will soon see that they
have taken the time to present their institutions and not just distribute
information. Should NIU keep up with the Jones'? YES. Just a hunch here,
but a fine presentation just might attract students and fill seats in
classrooms. The web, like it or not, is a place to advertise. No matter
what you're selling, you have to try to catch the eye! Ya never know,
there might be something to this web site business.
Good luck with the new site. I hope that my comments are helpful
best,
Durk