Over the past couple of weeks, Nissan has slightly changed their website's image from a comprehensive look at the 2006 models to a more tense "here's what coming" look. The new models, called 2.0 for the most part, indicate that Nissan will be giving a new look to 5 of the current Nissan models. What would be really interesting is if they made the website into a Web 2.0 look as well. Wouldn't that make for a great blog entry.
The website is getting a little bit slower to look through as it becomes more interactive. A lot more loading, a lot more waiting, and simply more frustration as I try to navigate through the site, much like the problem I originally had with the Acura site that helped me choose to not blog about them.
The layout of the website itself has yet to change, though they do seem to keep a very close proximity with all the objects, and the website does not cover the entire browser window. It forces the reader to maintain focus on a very small spot. Tons of white space. Tons. I know the principle is desirable in advertising, not sure if it quite applies in websites.
At any rate, there does appear to be a change in direction with the site. I think it would be great if it would modify into a Web 2.0 site, but we will have to wait and see.

Web Tracking-Part I

Over the past week or so, I have been looking through the websites for Acura (www.acura.com) and Nissan (www.nissanusa.com) to decide which one to use for my web tracking assignment. I chose the two websites because I have recently become interested in getting a new car, and research, mainly online, is going to play a major factor in my decision. I have always personally liked Acura cars, but even though their website is eye catching at first, and certainly looks great, it is at times entirely too slow. The Nissan site, on the other hand, looks much plainer at first, but is much easier to navigate and is much faster. The Acura site focuses too much on trying to show large pop up pictures, and causes a slow loading time, whereas Nissan utilizes easy to see thumbnails that the viewer can access with ease.
Even as I looked through other car manufacturers websites, I was continually drawn back to how well Nissan's site was done. One particular thing that I noticed was that it was one of the few websites that would allow you to see what an option, such as car color or adding a part like new wheels, would look like without having to reload the page. The website is incredibly easy to navigate, with drop menus and easy point and click features. When you click on the vehicle lineup, you can drag over thumbnails, which pop out quickly to show a slightly larger image with a starting MSRP price, so you won't have to waste your time with models out of your price range. Nissan also offers a section called "Need help selecting your vehicle?" where you can sort models by price, gas mileage, and even seating.
I will continue to check these weekly and maintain a journal that will be summarized in my final report on the site. So far, I am impressed by its ease of use and how quickly it can go, and the color layout is starting to get to me too. Soon, their 2007 models will be coming out and we might get to see a new look for the site as well. Until then, I'll keep my eyes peeled and see how the site continues to develop.

Module 2 Entry-In Design Newsletter Review

For my newsletter, I used a copy of my mom's school newsletter. I believe that the publication has credibility, because I know she uses it as a reliable source for what's going on at the school, plus she does some of the writing for it. The information it contains definitely pertains to the ongoings at the school, and it is good information. However, the assessment doesn't have to do entirely with the way that it is designed.
While the newsletter did follow the principles of alignment well, with strong left and right aligns, it did not show very good proximity. Everything on the page seemed to be way too close to each other, and it created a very boring sense when reading. However, there was strong repetition throughout the newsletter through the use of the same colors and uniform fonts, but in doing so there was very little contrast through most of the document. The contrast seemed to be too shy because of the urge to use so much repetition in fonts and colors.
Overall, it was a decent piece of journalism, but it could have used some work in the principles of proximity and contrast to make it more enjoyable to read.