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Many web designers think of websites
as online brochures or other versions of printed documents.
While some sites will be purely publications, in some
cases, a website can be thought of as a place. Thinking
of a site as a physical space rather than a “bunch
of pages” may help you visualise it in terms
of the various rooms or areas where your intended
visitors will feel comfortable.
A sense of place may also help your
visitors picture your site and gives them a stronger,
more memorable experience. It also helps intranet
users feel more at home.
- For an intranet, imagine a corporate highrise
(with different divisions on different “floors”)
or a home page that mimics your own company's office
lobby or office floor plan. If your intranet system
focuses on a few main areas, such as filing and
communication, then use this to help you focus.
For example, make the file room the center of attention,
rather than just one more room in a large building.
This will help your users get straight to the point.
- For a website, imagine a car showroom (new cars,
used cars, service), a wine cellar (aisles for vineyards
and vintages), an art gallery (rooms for figurative,
abstract, and appraisals), a clinic (reception,
doctor's office), a service center, a law office,
a real estate office, a specific type of store.
Even these simple descriptions instantly help both
you and your visitor imagine a complete place.
- Even when your site is a publication you might
be better served by opening a “news room,”
rather than an online newspaper; a virtual “garden”
rather than a gardening magazine; a “bookstore/cafe”
rather than a literary magazine; a “kitchen”
rather than a cooking magazine; or a “test
track” rather than a car magazine.
The more clearly you define your sense
of place, the easier the other steps will be, because
they'll just naturally fit into the place.
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