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Discuss what you like most about the design, as well as what you think could be improved.

From a user experience, is the site easy to navigate?

Does it have quality content? Why do you visit this site? Is it for the design, or for the content?

I  really enjoy the Austin City Limits Music Festival webpage.

The color scheme and the design are relatively simple and are uniform throughout the website.

The front page is a bit overwhelming as you scroll down. Info Overload.

It is organized, inviting, intriguing, and informative.

I visit the site for both its design and its content.

You come for the content, and stay for the design.

www.aclfestival.com

I love Twitter, and I visit the site countless times throughout the day. I visit the site because of the content that is available. I follow Twitter accounts that tweet information that keep me informed on the things I’m interested in. Through Twitter I can find out breaking news or the latest Hollywood gossip. I can also read motivational quotes and get tips on healthy eating. The home page of Twitter displays the tweets of the accounts you follow and the trending topics. This makes it simple for the user to navigate the site by not having too much content on one page. The only thing I would change on Twitter would be how your followers or the people you are following are displayed. I would give users the option to display their followers by alphabetical order as an easier way to search for a follower.

https://twitter.com/

Honestly, I probably visit and love Pinterest more than any other website. But, since someone else already wrote about it, I chose my runner up, Pitchfork.com. Pitchfork is THE music blog of music blogs. I discovered it last semester when I was brainstorming ideas for my own blog in FDOM.

I love this site not only for its information (if you ever get bored of your music, it’s the place to go) but also it’s design. It’s easy to navigate, visually appealing, and includes a playlist. You can access each individual song in the middle of the site, or the side bar includes a play, pause, and forward button to stream the entire list. If I could design my own blog in this manner, I would.

This company was mentioned last class and that someone from Texas State now works for this company (a few more than what he mentioned actually) but I love the stuff Rooster Teeth does and the interface for their website.

The front page of the RT website

I like that when the site loads up it automatically displays the latest videos they have put out. A nice touch that I like is that the site also has widgets in the corner right next to the logo to allow you to follow, like, and sub right from the get-go. I feel like it just says “This is who we are and what we’re about. Like what you see? There’s all the social stuff to keep up to date on what we do”

There are also several other smaller sections of the company that handle different productions and they all have their own separate site, also with their own sets of social profiles, and the links to the different websites are at the very top of the home page for easy navigation. It keeps everything a lot less cluttered and I really like that. There are also links to their store and forums so that you can buy some of their merch and talk with other fans of RT and just immerse yourself in the community.

The whole site is just made to make it as easy as possible to find the content you’re looking for and just get right to it.

Probably the most eclectic site on the interwebs, Reddit displays a vast selection of  information and entertainment to appeal to anyone’s fancies. I was first introduced to this bundle of fun the summer before my freshman year of college and have since then locked myself in my room, rarely seeing the light of day and wondering to myself, “what the hell did I do for fun before this?”

Reddit is a giant public forum where anyone can post or comment about practically anything happening in the world. You can upvote or downvote any story or comment and be apart of an international community. According to their about page, their stats detail that over 114 million unique viewers visited last month alone with almost 8,000 individual communities, or subreddits. It is usually here on Reddit that I get my daily breaking news first and my cat photos to cut out the middle-man.

Reddit is also one of the very few places where the comments section is just, if not moreso, more interesting to read than the actual posted content itself. The community is upheld to correct grammar and punctuation standards (a big plus for me) and are a articulate and highly creative. You will never see those most irritating of public comment faux paus here.

The one downer about this sight sometimes can be that the material on the front page takes a while to update to something new, and contributing to those headlining posts is impossible. Take for say, an AMA (Ask Me Anything) by your favorite actor pops up, you better be there the second it opens or forget about asking what their most embarrassing moment off-set was. Even just an hour-live post can hold up to thousands of comments.

My favorite subreddit of them all, you ask? Definitely, without a doubt, r/avocadoesgonewild.

Just kidding (maybe), my two favorites are r/redditgetsdrawn and r/myreactionwhen.

From V-Magazine Archive

The array of interests that I truly enjoy are, sincerely, cliche. Many websites aim to provide a balanced combination of these interests, but no one does it better than V Magazine. Although there is something very special about flipping through a printed version of this glossy, their online content is that rare but perfect combination of music, art, fashion and celebrities. Although many websites have similar content, V Magazine creates a chic environment to deliver it.

The main reason that I love this website is their content and the way it’s presented to the user. The modern -almost exclusively millennial- theme of the website is refreshing. It is extremely easy to navigate and it is an amazing source for yet to be discovered musicians and artistes. I’d have to say that V Magazine is my number one source for new music.

One thing that is extremely cool is the archive of past issues. I love that I’m able to go back in time with just one click. The website is also social media friendly, allowing users to share, like, tweet, etc content as they please, this is definitely one of my favorite and most used features.

One thing that I would change or modify is the Tumblr-ish look of the Home page, although it is easy to scroll down and find content a more sophisticated / editorial look would vamp up the website, I think. Aside from that V Magazine Online is heaven for pop culture lovers like myself.

How has no one talked about this yet? I cannot be the only one who ends up sitting and watching twenty different videos in a row after looking for “just one” small distraction.

YouTube is fabulous. Not only can you find all the music videos of the artists you already love but you can also end up discovering new talent that will make you seem totally hip once you share it with your friends. Or you can just shake it with Taylor on repeat. Your choice. I think my favorite part about the site is that it allows the public to upload their own videos. . Whether you think you’re a singer, a comedian, or the next Bam Margera you only need to share your video to find out what the world thinks. And they will tell you what they think. Hours, no, days of entertainment can be found on this site.

I think the best design aspect of the site is the bar along the right side of the screen that shows videos similar to the one you’re currently viewing.  From a visitor’s standpoint there is no easier way to lose track of time. Plus it’s such a simple tactic to get the viewer to stay on the site.

Remember last week when we talked about what the most embarrassing thing we have on the web is? YouTube claims mine. The last five years have taught me nothing in regards to my dance skills. Whatever, I’ll just keep shake, shake, shaking it off.

-Birdie Abigail