The importance of presentation
One of the classes I used to teach was entitled Modern Media. It’s basically a media literacy class in which we looked at the different types of media and explored the biases, production techniques and historical influences on these mediums. It’s a very interesting class, chock full of teachable moments.
As I taught that class, I always tried to impress upon my students the importance of presentation in their work and in the media. This has come back to me recently in a couple of different forms. Now that I work with teachers, many of them want websites. The problem is that teachers, like many students, want them to look pretty. The problem is they don’t understand good website design. For example, putting a picture as a tiled background is typically not a good idea as you create a website.
That being said, I’m torn between trying to get teachers to make a website that students can use and has good content on it even though it will burn their irises with black text on a fluorescent green background, or them not making one at all. Website presentation is important, but, as I used to tell my media classes. Content is king. Just look at MySpace. MySpace sites have the most God-awful web design in existence, yet, our students spend an amazing amount of time looking at the crazy backgrounds, blaring music and random comments. Why is that? Partly because of the social side of it, but really, even the social side of it comes down to one thing… content.
So my struggle continues. I’m overlooking some of the “bad design” aspects of sites that I’m helping with so that these sites are actually created and possibly used. Luckily, I’m not the one viewing these sites.
I know what you mean about bad web design. And yet, with nearly 100 ninth graders each year, I have to realize they’re not all going to be artists. There are a few, though, and that gives me joy. I try to remind students that web content potentially has an audience. Truthfully, student webs do not have a wide audience, but their peers are looking, so they do care that they present something that looks appealing. What ninth graders most want their design to do is represent themselves. Their web pages become their social calling cards.
As for teachers, there’s no excuse for bad design. Except for they probably have lousy decorating sense in their homes as well. But then if the design skill isn’t there, they should start with a template. Or just stay simple. I could go on an on about this, turning a few comments into a rant…. But I won’t.
Keep up the good fight Bill!