The Best and Worst Websites - GameBattles

http://gamebattles.majorleaguegaming.com/

GOOD Website

This is another website I have used previously. This is where competitive gamers go to play against other gamers online. There is a wide variety of games that this website supports for each console and for PC.  You can compete alone, as a duo, or with a team (depending on the game). After signing up the gamer gets his or her own customizable profile page which includes their rank and win loss ratio for each game. Other gamers can comment on a profile as well. To play against other people competitively all the user has to do is make a team and post a game with the rules they want. After another party accepts the match the game is played in a private lobby and the results are posted after the series is completed.

Structurally this website is solid. It has a very clean look and is simple to navigate. The color scheme is simple and works well with the website itself. The header and the footer are consistent and the footer includes all the social media as well as information about the mobile applications available. There is even a forums page for enthusiast (link is included in the footer).

I have had a good time using this website with my friends. I consider myself as a competitive individual as I enjoy outplaying my opponents no matter what game it is. This website has created a home for people like me and has prospered a lot over time. This is one of the best websites of all time.

The Best and Worst Websites - Hupit

hupitgaming.com

BAD Website

Just for the record, this website used to have a lot of traffic. I used to use it myself. Several years ago I would have rated this website as good without flinching but it has taken a turn for the worse. This website used to be a method to bring gamers together. Users could create an account and check off which games they play. After creating an account gamers would be able to search for other gamers who play the same games and play casually or competitively. From what I understand the website would crash very easily if it got flooded with too much traffic. This would happen consistently because a Youtuber and Twitch streamer known as WoodysGamertag would promote this website. Enough about the history lets get into the current status of this throw away website.

*The website has changed since I reviewed it so my review is not completely accurate but it is still a good example of a bad website.

Let us start with the home page. There is search bar and a set of clickable links with broad text descriptions and thats about it. This page has a sorry excuse for a header and absolutely no footer. The color scheme is mediocre and the text font is bland. If you navigate away from the home page by clicking on one of the links the header becomes clickable! The clickable header would be useful if it actually did something when you clicked it. The only use for the linked header is to right click it and open the same exact page in another tab or window.

Theres not much more to say other than the fact that this is an example of a throw away website. The only value to this website anymore is its domain name.

The Best and Worst Websites - Vizcaya

http://vizcaya.org/

GOOD Website

Simple and gets the job done. Although this website is not flashy and seems a tad old fashioned it does exactly what it has to do. The color scheme works very well with the header picture. A different color scheme is used for the sub-headers that works well with the pictures that go along with the information. This website is consistent with its formatting. The Vizcaya picture in the header also serves as a home button for the website. The header and footer exist throughout the website in the same location making the user feel comfortable because the website becomes predictable and easy to navigate. All of the social media is inside of the header which is a good idea because that makes it easily accessible regardless of what web page the user is on. Contact information and additional links can be found in the footer.

Overall a good example for a website that illustrates Web Design and its simplicity.

The Best and Worst Websites - Miami

http://www.miamigov.com/

BAD Website

This website looks outdated. The color scheme is dull. There is too much on the home page itself which makes it hard to decide what to look at first. There is a clock widget that shows the current time but it blends into the header's picture because of poor placement and formatting. The search bar is practically useless because it uses Google Custom Search which is the same as using Google.com. The website is not well organized. The social media is only located on the home page, I would suggest putting it inside the footer of each web page. Navigating the website is confusing.

There are some web pages in this website that are simply lists of links such as the news page: http://www.miamigov.com/comm/news.html. There are other pages, such as the visitors page: http://www.miamigov.com/home/visitors.html and even the home page, which include a list of bullet points and each bullet point is a link to another website.

This website is the perfect example of what not to do when designing a web page.

The Best and Worst Websites - Oakley

http://www.oakley.com/

GOOD Website

This website is well laid out. The header, which doubles as a navigation toolbar, is simple, soft on the eyes, and has the perfect size. It gives quick access to the home page and other sub categories and is readily available even if the user scrolls down the page. Also, there is a footer at the bottom of every page which is good formatting.

The home page is welcoming and inviting but does not have too much text which is good style. Therefore, any type of user navigating to the home page would not feel overwhelmed. The navigation toolbar makes this website easy to browse, search, or shop for a first time user.

It is also easy to find information by browsing to the Technology tab where there is an immense amount of details for either enthusiast or first time shoppers. The Technology tab in itself is well laid out because it is easy to navigate thanks to the help of several anchor links and has very concise information. It is also neat how the anchor links are highlighted black when you are actively looking at that sub category.

The most impressive part of the website is the Custom tab. Here you can choose from any frame of sunglasses and customize it to your liking with real time pictures from several different angles which gives the user an idea of what the final product would look like. It is easy to reset the customizations or share them once you are done with just the click of a button.

All in all, this website is a great example of a good website. It is easy to navigate, easy on the eyes, and each page follows a common structure.