| Introduction | Web Designer Principles As I See It | Psychological Aspects to Web Design | What It's Like to Become a Web Designer | Annotated Index to Web Design |
My name is Glen Acierto, a student in the University of Hawaii's Psychology 409b class taught by Professor Leon James. This report deals with the social psychology of web architecture. In this report, you will find out about my meager beginnings as a computer illiterate student to becoming a full fledged webpage designer. This is not to say that I'm an expert at it or anything, far from it. There is always so much more to learn. You'll find out soon enough because by the end of this class, you will be doing exactly the same thing for the upcoming generations of cybernauts!!!
After all the things that I have learned from this class, computers are now something that I want as a regular part of my life. It's hard to imagine how life would be without them. They're not just for games anymore, like they were (at least for me) a few years back. Computers are now valuable tools that should eventually become a part of every household, just like the common hammer and screwdriver.
In this report you will find out about the relationship between psychology and web architecture. Architecture? On the computer? Yes, strange as it may seem when you do create your own home page you are building a type of "structure" where certain rules and regulations apply. Just like in the construction of houses and buildings, web page architecture does take a certain amount of planning, in fact, it takes a lot. There is one major difference between the two. While the construction of a house or building will eventually reach completion, the construction of a web page will not.
Being a former student in architectural drafting, I take an interest in the design and construction of things. Web pages are no exception. In the architecture of houses and buildings, everything serves a purpose and constitutes a form of expression. Whether it be the architect's or home owner's individual tastes, a number of factors are considered in the design and construction: the structure's shape, size, interior lighting, number of rooms, form and function of rooms, the materials used etc. These all contribute in giving a house or building its individuality.
These same factors are also considered in the construction of web pages. Meticulous planning is needed if you want to get the best results. And like the common rule states, "you only get out of it what you put into it."
In doing so, I hope you get the same pride and satisfaction that I did in finally putting up a web page. The same kind of pride and satisfaction that an architect gets when seeing one of their designs get built, how a mechanic feels after successfully troubleshooting an automobile or the way an artist feels when finally completing a work of art. Where else can you get these types of satisfaction all rolled into one?
For those of you out there who are working with computers for the very first time or have been out of the computer scene for a while, DON'T BE AFRAID!!! Sure, you've heard the horror stories of people erasing other people's files, computer viruses, power failures, system breakdowns, Dr. Leon James' assignment deadlines. Don't worry! It's not the end of the world. A lot of it will be trial and error, but that's all a part of the learning process. Make mistakes, in fact, make a lot of them because that's one of the best ways to learn and the beginning is the best time to do it. So go ahead....delete your classes' files and turn off your classmates' disk drive instead of yours. They won't be that mad and they'll eventually forgive you (Just kidding!!!). Hey ,you can't learn to walk without falling down once in a while.....
For this report, I had to visit Mr. Glover's Website. You can also do so by
clicking here: 
On my
first visit to the glover.com site, I was very impressed with the graphics. They sort of
"jumped out" at me. Large and easy to read, the icons struck my curiosity.
"Top Ten List for a Sucky Homepage," "From Sucky to Saavy," and
"Disney Disaster," got me to wondering, "just what is this site
about?" I clicked onward.....
The simplicity of his homepage was another "plus." No loud, gawdy colors or too many graphics to distract me. His strange headings got my curiosity and made me want to immediately start exploring. His directory was composed of three main links entitled: A webmaster, a nutcase, and a bear. What my first impression was? I didn't really know what to think! (except that the word "nutcase" did stand out in my mind). He also had smaller links leading to: Disney Disaster, photos of Phillip and me, a video greeting, and a what's new? link, among others.
I was in for a surprise. Looking at the pictures of Mr. Glover's trip to Disneyland, I thought he was a pretty funny and amusing guy. But in the back of my mind, I was thinking, "what does this have to do with my cyberpsychology class?" I began to think that it was mainly for humor and jokes.
His "Top Ten List for a Sucky Homepage," turned out to be just that, a top ten list for a sucky homepage. Mr. Glover's site was meant to give the beginning home page designer some guidelines as to what "sucks" and what does not in homepages. You'll also notice that throughout the glover.com website is a little "disclaimer" about the designing of websites
Warning: Don't have a hissy-fit if something from your web site is on the list. I encourage you to create your web site however you want, regardless of what some doofus says is "sucky" or "a don't"! Good design is a matter of YOUR personal taste and style, not someone else's! Besides, rules are meant to be broken. I should know... I've broken a few of my own!
This should tell the reader that while his "Top 10" lists state certain guidelines, that is all they are- guidelines. There is no rules that state that you must follow them. If people decide not to follow them, that's their perogative. My feeling is that you should always try to learn from the people who know, otherwise you'll just end up reinventing the wheel.
Excerpts from his "Top Ten Ways To Tell If You Have A Sucky Home Page":
#8 We can only stomach so many pictures of your pets. "...and this is my cat:
Fluffy. This is my dog: Fifi. This is my llama: Frumpy. This is my dolphin:
Flippy..."
#7 Obnoxious background music.
#2 Blink. 'nuff said.
#1 You're on your own Hot List!
Before you see his "Sucky to Savvy" list, as usual he has a little introduction and disclaimer. Here is a condensed version:
You're about to enter the "Sucky to Savvy" Web Site. Here you will learn
about improvements you can make to your Web Site to make it more pleasant for your
visitors.
First off, "Sucky to Savvy" is the result of over 2 years of research and
experience in creating Web Sites. I have been gathering feedback from internet surfers
about what they think Sucks and what they think is Savvy. ..many people have qualms about
certain design issues and elements on a Web Site. While we cannot all agree on what's
ultimately sucky or not, "Sucky to Savvy" tries to be fair in its assessments.
As attitudes change so will this site.
Second, I encourage you to create your web site however you want, regardless of what some
doofus says is "sucky" or "a don't"! This Web Site is only a guide for
those looking for some direction. Good design is a matter of YOUR personal taste and
style, not someone else's! Rules are meant to be broken. I should know... I've broken a
few of my own!
Last, you will not find any site bashing on "Sucky to Savvy". It's rude and
arrogant for some people to think that they are the last word on what's good and what's
bad on the net. I know I spend a lot of time on my pages and I'm quite proud of them, just
as I'm sure you are of the pages you've created. Having someone tell you your pages are
"the worst" is very mean-spirited. I prefer my site be popular on its own merit
and not at the expense of others.
At least Mr. Glover is tactful about offering advice. This is just basically constructive criticism with a little humor added to it.
Mr. Glover's SUCKY LIST:
Blink
Background Music
Loud Backgrounds
Frames
Large Image Maps
Construction Signs
Scrolling Marquees
Ticker-Tape Status
Mr. Glover's SAVVY LIST
Flexible Widths
Thumbnail Graphics
Height & Width Tags
ALT Tags
Contact Info
Be Unique!
Optional Plug-Ins
Although there are people out there who would take offense to the thought that their web page is "sucky" just because it contains some of the things in Mr. Glover's list, they don't need to. Mr. Glover put his points across in a humorous and entertaining way and what's more, his pet peeves do make sense. Who'd want to see blinking words, badly scanned pictures, or hear irritating background music anyway? Surely not me!
This section goes a little off on a tangent but I felt that this was an important aspect of the internet. His link to "A Bear," was sort of a twist. The interesting thing about this link was that it became a kind of platform. It was Mr. Glover's way to "come out of the closet" and admit right there on the Internet for all to see, that he was gay. I was impressed by his open honesty and his very original way of doing so. I don't think that many people would have caught on to this fact by simply reading the beginning of his web page. Mr. Glover did this on purpose. By clicking on the first links of his webpage, he seemed like a normal down to earth person (although you may have doubts by looking at his taste in humor). Once a reader finds out that Mr. Glover is gay, it may change their perceptions of just what a gay person is. In seeing the homophobia that is rampant in today's society, I found it admirable that there are people out there who are trying to break the stereotype and educate people.
I don't personally know any gay people who would talk about their lifestyles this openly. In doing so, Mr. Glover has opened the door to understanding. His unique, "user-friendly" way of opening the world of alternative lifestyles to others is refreshing. I find that the media portrayal of gays and lesbians is in general insulting and degrading and it was nice to find someone who found the time to do so and to do it with style and humor.
This goes to show that the internet is a powerful educational tool. The ability to teach others is one of mankinds greatest gifts and the internet will hopefully bring others to a greater understanding of the world around them. To not fear things we don't understand and to understand the things we once feared.
My three favorite ideas from Leon James' article Social Psychology of Home Page Architecture are:
1. That home pages are loved
2. That home pages are like a second home
3. The concept of home page construction and architecture
Home pages, are in a sense, alive. They don't live and breath in the same sense as a human
being or animal, but then again they are not as lifeless as a rock or the chair you're
sitting on. Home pages are in a class of their own. A web page designer gives life to a
web page in the same sense as a cat owner feeds his/her cat. They must be tended to,
"groomed," and looked after. With neglect, they would both eventually cease to
exist in one form or another.
Home pages are also like a second home. They need to be tended to every so often otherwise they would fall into disrepair, become outdated, or just fall plainly out of style. They don't need to be dazzling or showy, but would just be an expression of an individual owner's personal tastes. It's outside appearance would be a welcome sign for potential "virtual visitors" and will be the deciding factor if someone was deciding whether to visit their home page or not. It is what makes a lasting impression in a visitor's mind, so appearance is very important.
The idea of constructing and designing a web page is fascinating. To think that I, a mere student, on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, can create something that can be seen and (hopefully) admired throughout the world is an overwhelming thought. I feel that as human beings, we all have the innate desire to create things, to leave some sort of mark on the world that will outlive our mortal existence. We all have that power to do so within us, but unfortunately only some of us actually utilize that power to an effective degree.
Designing web pages gives us just that power. By utilizing it, it also fulfills several needs: the need to be artistic- to show others our own individuality and uniqueness. This is what makes me, ME. The need to be expressive- to allow others to have access to our own thoughts and feelings. And the need to be recognized- to share something we have learned through life's experiences and to share them for the benefit of others. Designing a web page was a perfect solution to all this.
I got my start from the University of Hawaii's Psychology 409b class taught by Professor Leon James in the spring semester of 1997. It was a very, very rough start. Being a (somewhat) naïve University of Hawaii senior, during the pre-registration period I scanned the course catalog and thought to myself, "hmm.....Psychology 409b- Online Community, sounds like a fun computer class. No computer experience necessary? Hey even better!!! I was in for one BIG surprise.
Learning to use a computer again after many years of not even touching a computer was quite a shock. I had tried to keep abreast of the latest computer developments by reading current articles in the newspaper, but it in no way prepared me for what I was about to experience. Computers had changed a lot. They were infinitely more sophisticated than the "Commodore 64's," the first generation IBM PC's, and the using of cassette tapes to store data that I had used way back in intermediate school.
The beginning of the Spring semester of 1997, has got to be one of the most stressful experiences of my life!!! This was mainly due to this Psychology 409b class. It was very, very rough. Some advice for the up and coming generations- learn as much about computers and try to get experience working with them if possible BEFORE taking this course. By the time you read this of course it may be too late so the next best thing is to read a "user friendly" book that introduces you to the internet. This way, some of the concepts won't be as foreign or abstract as they were to me. Another way to think about it is, it's almost like learning a foreign language. If you know the background of a particular culture and/or have an understanding of word syntax and usage, you'll be that much better off.
With a lot of help from my friends and class mates, I eventually got the hang of it. Now I find it pretty fun maintaining my webpages, although as you will eventually realize, this will be an impossible task. This is not because of a lack of effort on the web designer's part but with the "information explosion" still in full swing, information tends to get real old, real fast. You just have to "go with the flow" and learn as you go along. Kind of like "on the job" training.
This course did give me a firm foundation upon which I could launch myself into the depths of cyberspace and not suffer from technophobia. So if you are feeling nervous about this class, don't fret. If I could do it, so can you. Though be advised: this class will take a significant amount of time, especially in the beginning of the semester. Just keep up with the work, make sure you understand everything BEFORE even thinking about going on, seek the help and support of your instructor and fellow classmates, and NEVER be afraid to ask questions.
My advice to Dr. James with regard to building the online generational community classroom: first and foremost, to continue in its development, improvement, and maintenance. This semester was the first time that I had ever heard of it and I thought it was a very unique and interesting concept, "on-line learning." I have never taken a course like this before and now that I have, I feel that it should be a mandatory course. For all the stress and frustration, it was still well worth it. Computers are a fact of life and its usage will only increase in the future. This course has given me a good understanding of computers which I know will be beneficial for me now and in the future.
I do suggest that in the very beginning of the course, an emphasis should be to make sure that all students have a firm understanding as to what the internet is, the purpose it serves, its capabilities and limitations, and it's place in the modern and future world. This way, all students will be on the "same sheet of music" and have a more even start with other, more skilled students. It was a very intimidating feeling for me in seeing the other students "catch on" so quickly. It was also very demoralizing and almost killed my interest to learn. The beginning of a course is not a place to get lost and it also sets the stage for how difficult the rest of the semester will be.
I also feel that more emphasis should be placed in reading the work of the past generations. It was a shock to just dive in and start surfing the web when I only had a vague idea what the web was about. It was comforting to read some of the past generations work and find that I was not alone in my experiences of helplessness and frustration.
This proves that the generational curriculum does work. To think that in some way a former student, whom I have never met and will probably never meet, has helped me to succeed in a present day course is a very unique way to learn. This utilizes a computer's potential in a way that takes the concept of time and learning to a new level, an "on-line archive." Think of where this course will be in five or ten years. Imagine a PSY 409 student in the year 2010 looking at the past generations work. It would be like looking through time and having a chance to take an active part in its continuation. Wouldn't that be neat???
With all that I have learned from this course, I hope to continue to learn even more. I will eventually get a computer of my own because being that I graduate this semester, I will probably lose the privilege of using University equipment. Even so, the internet has become and forever will be a part of my life. Even as this semester is coming to an end, this course was just a "starting point." It has given me the knowledge and the means to continue on in my personal voyage of discovery and lifelong learning. I thank you Dr. James!!!
Here are some articles that discuss the psychological forces in web design and
navigation, tips on HTML, and starting your own web page:
Creating a Home Page by the
University of Hawaii Help Desk.
"So
You Wanna Learn HTML"
"Thinking
Critically about World Wide Web Resources," a paper by Esther Grassian, UCLA
College Library.
"The Web as a Learning
Tool," compiled by Connie Hatley.
Macmillan's HTML Workshop
Patrick Douglas
Crispen's Internet course via the University of Alabama.
"Beyond the Mechanics: Web Design
Issues," by Tim Guay.
"Top Ten Mistakes in Web
Design," by Jakob Nielsen.
"Issues in Web
Design."
I did have a difficult time trying to initiate a word search for "psychological forces in web design and navigation, so I again utilized the generational curriculum and looked at the sources of the past and present generations. Obviously, the present generations had the most up to date sources so I am passing them on to you.
These sources give you all you need to know about how to get started in designing web pages. Although several of them, like Connie Hatley's "The Web as a Learning Tool," and Tim Guay's "Beyond the Mechanics: Web Design Issues," are kind of technical, they will eventually make more sense as you gain more experience.
These articles are like "mini" courses in producing web pages, so where better to learn from than from the people who have been doing it for a while? Like with the glover.com website that I discussed above, the ideas presented in these articles are just guidelines. Who is to say that you should do this or that in YOUR web page? My feeling is that a compromise should be met in trying to express your individuality and yet do so in a way that is pleasing to as many people as possible. If not, you may just end up scaring away the people that your page was designed to attract. That would kind of defeat the whole purpose of having a web page now, wouldn't it?
Either way, just keep in mind throughout this learning process:
"have fun, learn a lot, and remember: