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Site covers can serve a number of different purposes. Some
function as "splash" screens that offer little information, but are
intended to entice users into a site by using snazzy graphics or effects.
Others are used to establish an overall "look-and-feel" for a site. Such
covers often provide links to the major sections of the site, allowing
visitors quick access to topics of interest while providing a general site
overview. Other covers have few graphics, but provide detailed information
and access to the content of the site. Which type of cover is most
effective is dependent on the nature and purpose of the site.
 We have found
covers to be the most controversial of all site elements. For many
readers, site covers are simply an additional and annoying mouse click
between them and the content they are seeking. Such readers would like be
presented with a site index at the start rather than pretty graphics or
spiffy animations. The key is to assess your audience and then choose the
entry that seems most appropriate.
Also, consider
the function of your site. Is your typical visitor there for a single
visit or will they visit often? An on-line tool like a calendar or search
engine should not have a purely aesthetic site cover, as visitors will
visit the site perhaps several times a day. An elegant but non-functional
cover on such a site will quickly become tedious. Of course, visitors who
do not want to enter through the front door can simply bookmark an
internal page of your site, for example, the table of contents. But if you
find yourself repeatedly making this argumentfor using a site
cover, you may want to adapt or even remove your cover to better
accommodate your audience.
Information
An informational site, such as an
academic, corporate, or general interest site, should have a cover that
establishes an overall visual design theme or metaphor for the site. It
should also identify and give a brief explanation of the purpose of the
site, and provide a site overview by presenting links to its major
sections. This type of cover should answer the questions, Where am I? What
is it like here? What do these people do? What kind of stuff will I
find?
Graphic has been
reduced from the original size. www.nytimes.com
Reference
A site that will be used as a
reference should have its menu posted right on the front door. Visitors
should be able to tell at a glance if the information they are seeking is
inside, and, if so, exactly where to find it. A cover to a reference site
should look more like a table of contents, with links to every page in the
site. This type of cover can have graphic elements, but their role is
secondary to the content and access links. Graphics should be modest, and
should establish a site identity that is maintained throughout all pages.
This type of cover should answer the questions, Do they have a page on
wildebeests? How do I get there right now?
Graphic has been
reduced from the original size. www.yahoo.com
All the rest
The third type of site cover is one
that elicits questions that can be answered only by entering the site.
These covers use animations, graphics, and/or multimedia to pique interest
and draw visitors into the main body of the site. The success of these
covers depends enormously on the expectation of the site visitor. If you
visit a site about a poet, you will enter with a different expectation
than when visiting a site about carpal tunnel syndrome. Visitors to a site
about poetry may not simply be out Web foraging, but may instead be
looking for an experience, for art, for entertainment. A mysterious,
enigmatic, aesthetically-pleasing facade might just entice such visitors
in.
Jones & Jones,
Architects and Landscape Architects
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www.jonesandjones.com
Choose wisely
With site covers, more than with any
other aspect of Web site design, you must carefully gauge the needs and
expectations of your audience. Too much splash on a reference site will
exasperate, too little splash on an entertainment site will bore. And
first impressions are what matters most, particularly when there are so
many other fish in the sea.
References
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