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This section will test the PRESENTATION SKILLS of your website, which includes user friendliness, aesthetical skills, design skills, alignment and page layout and effectiveness of web elements:

1. Ease of use/ Appearance

This topic will test the "simplicity factor" of your website. Will a first time visitor be able to get around easily? Is it easy to understand? Are adjacent links to your section pages reasonably easy to find, or available at first glance?

2. Theme and Layout

This item focus on the "clear design factor". We will be looking if well defined themes are present within your website presentation, which include choice of layout, color, images, navigation in combination with chosen content.

3. Available user Aid, tools

Offering hint pages, tips and user tools will aid your visitors to understand the working of your website. If you use a fairly complex design or navigation structure, or using something beyond the ordinary, it is recommended to make use of some means to help your visitors. Sometimes explanations in some areas, such as completing complicated forms or using interactive services will prove their value to your "potential customers".

4. Interface functions

The layout of your site's graphic or textual controls in conjunction with the way your site responds or functions with your visitor's activity. Do you rely on heavy Java scripts to make your interface work? What effect or impact will your interface leave on your audience? Is your interface both interesting and easy to use?

5. Use and availability of Fonts

Use a font that is supported by all browsers. Using fonts that are out of the ordinary will seriously affect your entire website presentation. Remember: to display a font it needs to be installed on your visitor's computer. Try to stay within the limits of "default fonts" installed on all computers such as Arial, Verdana or Times New Roman.

6. Implementation of visual elements

Strategic use of visual elements (such as graphics, images, streaming video or flash/shockwave) greatly enhance the appearance of any website presentation. You will be credited if you impress our judges with interesting and proper use of these elements. We consider elements that are placed on the page in a way that makes the page more interesting and appealing, but does not detract from what the page is intended for, to be proper use of elements. Remember: It is not a question of using visual elements, but how you are using them.

7. Artistic Skills

Visual arts knowledge and artistic skills in using arts media effectively to express ideas creatively, translate concepts, feelings, and visions. This subject evaluates the visual part in art and creativity, such as images, graphics and techniques in order to capture your audience attention. Graphics used should be in general original, well thought about and display some form of creativity. They should also add value to your content. Using third party graphics and/or images are allowed but not recommended if you're looking to impress the judges. Originality is the key here.

8. Artistic Integration

Graphics and/or images must be used to compliment your site content. We will look for a clear and clever balance in mixing both content (text) and artistic skills (visuals).

9. Visual appeal of site

At this point we will be looking at the power of visuals / elements used to attract or to arouse interest in your site. In fact, site appeal is a combination of both artistic skills and integration. Your site should appear interesting, tasteful and fascinating in some way or another in order to keep your visitors attention.

10. Professional appearance

In addition to character, a professional appearance is a must. Your presentation must reflect a high degree of professionalism in both design and layout to earn this point. To achieve this, you should use a theme for your site, which reflects the professionalism by maintaining a well-designed theme.

11. Effective use of colors

Color is a very powerful form of communication, i.e. red means "stop" and green means "go." Traffic lights send this universal message. Likewise, the colors used for a product, web site, logo, or advertisements also cause this powerful reaction. Just think of your favorite beverage and the color being used in their advertisement! Color sends a subliminal message, one that plays a critical role in the success or failure of the product.

12. Elegance of Core Construction

This subject will evaluate the "stylishness" of your presentation's platform. It will help you considerately if you develop a standard template on which you base your website. Your template should contain the HTML code, graphics, CSS and JavaScript you would use to construct all your pages within your website.

13. Site "Feel"

The definition: Look vs. experience. The "look" refers to your website design, graphics, color, content length, etc. The "feel" refers to what we ?experience? from what we see. Site behavior differs from a user experience point-of-view and how it leaves the user feeling. Finding the right balance of ?look? and ?feel? is of the essence - if ignored, it will turn "dots" into "nots".

14. Audio-Visual Synchronization

This subject will basically evaluate how you have managed to bring together visual effects with sound effects - visuals and audio operate with exact coincidence time or rate. In addition, we will also be looking at the choice of audio effects, whether the audio effects suit the chosen theme of your site and the available options to your visitors.

15. Integration of Elements

This subject will look for how you have implemented or mixed various web elements such as script, audio, video, active X, etc. within your website. Remember - incorrect use of elements is sometimes very annoying. Only use them if necessary!

16. Consistency Level

This subject tests the degree of consistency and the means used to strengthen its intentional purpose. In short - maintain your standard throughout.

17. Use of white space

Effective use of white space is very important to any page layout. Part of this is controlled by HTML (end tags, such as </A> or </P>), spaces, tabs and/or carriage returns. Other parts are influenced by use of tables and cells. Proper spacing of content is crucial to any site appearance - do not try to cram as much as possible on a single page. Remember - absence of content is a way to draw attention to what is there!

Tip: Click here if you are interested in the implementation of white space, and resolving white space related issues.

18. Use & complexity of Tables

The use of tables is an excellent organizational tool for page layouts. Additional functionality associated with tables can greatly enhance the placement of graphics and text, such as cell padding, cell spacing, manipulation of fonts, borders, shades, transparency of borders and more. Careful... very complex table structures may influence page download times.

19. Effectiveness of Layers

Layers are a dynamic HTML technique which enhance the page designer's control over the placement of specific elements in a web page, using either Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) positioning techniques or using the LAYER and ILAYER tags / or DIV

20. Use of Borders, rules, dividers

The question is not IF you use them, but HOW you use them. Over usage of borders and dividers, whether you use them in frames, tables or as "breaks" will harm your entire presentation. Use them sparingly and strategically and you will note the difference! Effective use of these will not go unnoticed.

Evaluation Criteria Pages:

Overview | Pre-evaluation | Section A | Section B | Section C | Section D | Section E | Self Evaluation Tips