As established in my proposal, I have done some research into the what kind of functions my website will need. I have also looked at the kind of layout/design that it will need in order to be suitable for the target audience and its purpose. Using the list of texts that I had proposed to use, I had found some valuable resources into the different types of websites that exist and the ways that they are structured. There was more than one example which would suit the purpose and intended design for my own project, so I took multiple elements from each and have decided to apply these to my draft designs.
According to the book ‘Don’t make me think’ by Steve Kruger, the main elements that a website will need to implement are:
- A clear visual hierarchy
- Make it obvious what’s clickable
- Break up pages into clearly defined areas
- Keep the ‘noise’ down
- Omit needless words
- Have a good tagline where appropriate
- I.D. site logo is important for the user to know they have not navigated to another webpage
- Use clearly labelled sections (menus must have a ‘parent’ and ‘child’ section)
- A search tool
- Use tabs where they are suitable
- Get the message across clearly
I have also listed some key elements that my own project will need to include:
- Menu display
- Booking function
- Social media asset (to invite people to have meal- where and when)
- Generic design- colours and typography must appeal to virtually everyone (although adults will use the site, not children)
- Two ‘outputs’- one for cafes/restaurants and one for users
- Cafes should be able to see who has booked, when and where
- A place to edit and show their menu
- Users should be able to invite people, see available menus and book a place
Finally, for the App version this will need to have:
- Touch screen only functions
- Easily to read
- ‘One screen at a time’ method
- Larger font and images
- Touch screen function only- no mouse hover for example
- Have an essence of ‘quickness’ as apps should be faster to use, i.e. on-the-go