What shows consistency?

• Does it say K-State? (American Ethnic Studies, Assessment and Program Review)
• Same look and feel (K-State Salina)
• Exactly the same? (DCE vs. K-State)
• Semantic consistency with graphical consistency
• Navigation elements in same place, doing the same thing (Human Ecology)
• Web site hierarchy/organzition and where you are in the structure

What hinders consistency and "approachability"?

Graphical:

• Readability
  • low contrast, background colors (Classified Senate)
  • small fonts (K-State)
• large graphics (Division of Public Safety)
• load time (Alumni Association)
• minimum browser width requirement (Assessment and Program Review)
• ADA requirements for visually impaired, colorblindness (Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design)

Bells & Whistles:

• plug-ins (Organization chart, previous course catalog, Interior Architecture)
• browser compatibility (Planning and Analysis)
• splash pages (Student Union, Fine Arts Council)
• frames (Athletic Department)
• Java, load time and compatibility problems
• DHTML (K-State)
• animations (Consider K-State, Human Resources)
• popup browser windows, browser size (Architecture Dept.)
• refresh to new url immediately, renders back button useless (DCE)

Content:

• Contact information (Disability Support Services)
• Dead links, maintained information, up to date (Professional Development)
• Visual structuring and information hierarchy (Financial Assistance)
• Content focused on the unit/topic (Range Research)
• Redundant & conflicting information (Academic Career and Information Center)
• Clear links, no "click here" (Union Bookstore, Art Dept)
• Gratuitous reorganization, reorganization w/o redirects (Union Program Council)

Kansas State University
April 18, 2001