After reviewing Andy Rutledge analysis of quiet structure comparing CNN and USA today it is funny to see how the tables seemed to have turned since 2007.
CNN was used as the example of how a web design could be consistent, quiet and a good design, where as USA today was what Rutledge wrote "the combination of several (noises) can amount to great significance," or distraction with the end result of a bed design.
However that was back in 2007 and now when you look at the websites today CNN seems to be a little more noisy than USA Today.
The first noise I see on CNN is that giant ad that takes up half the page before you even begin scrolling. They must be getting a pretty penny from Centrum, because that is rather ridiculous.
As you scroll further down the page is then divided from two columns to three. It doesn't have a bad transition from two columns to three within the grid, but it takes you a while to notice it. The there a few inconsistencies within the grid that are mostly noticeable at the ends of the columns that don't quiet match up.
The opening page for USA Today is noiseless. It is simple, balanced, harmonious. Continuous, easy to navigate and they even play into the principle of the lower right.
The opening page for USA Today is noiseless. It is simple, balanced, harmonious. Continuous, easy to navigate and they even play into the principle of the lower right.
As you continue to scroll the website continues to stay clean and simple. They use more of horizontal layouts to compliment the movement of the eye and follow the style guide well for organization, a little tight, divided by a thin line but consistent and I believe have created a lot less noise. 
Both websites play into the law of proximity and actually if the law of content was removed follow similar layouts as shown in Rutledge's writing, so maybe I just like the simplicity of USA Today's organization of information verses CNN's. Regardless, USA Today has made improvements.
Dixie.edu
The real website I want to take a closer look at is ours truly Dixie.edu. We will leave the functionality aside of its design, because trying to find things on this website is nearly impossible and I am grateful for the search engines.
Our website is simple, but still is a little horsey. I like the sliding feature we have now, bea=cause I think it a quick way to show what is going on campus, but there is inconsistency having the school name and logo different and awkward part of the page. Also, like USA Today in 2007 I think our tool bar is highlighted by some unnecessary structural complexities and could be simplified. Maybe they could be transparent and then appear as the mouse glides over the area. I think that would create some intuitiveness and add simplicity to the design.
As we continue to scroll we see that the style guide is well executed and the website does well with the organization using the law of proximity. There is less complex organization and letting simplicity do the organizing. I also like to see that majority of things are horizontal and makes it easy for the eye to wander.
But after a recent job shadow of a web designer here on campus, I believe our website is design is about to get a lot better and hopefully the functionality of it as well.
One of the websites I know being used as a model is the University of Reno's.
What you initially on UNR's page is much like USA Today's being noiseless. I believe they could create a better video for the visual, but the idea is good. Plus, I got to see the video we have in place and it really extracts an emotion as you see Dixie, unlike UNR's.
What I like most about the website when you first come to the page is that it functions for multiple audiences. As an already attending student you can just get right into the site, and if you familiarizing yourself you just keep on scrolling.
As you scroll the page is broken up into three sections that are titled and its headline is highlight as you scroll and I think makes a strong, continuous and intuitive grid. It is also intuitive as the numbers scroll to the factual information, creating movement on the page and keeping your attention.
The name of the game seems to be utilizing law of proximity on websites, but they do it well and it eliminates unnecessary structural organization and like I said before, allows simplicity to be the organization. The site also has more intuition with having arrows on either side of the proximity images, intimating the idea of flipping the pages of a book. This intuition I like is just as valuable as the lower right and maybe even more so in the context of a college website.
UNR's design is noiseless and the front page really sells the school, with I think is a huge communication and business objective for a school to accomplish, but doesn't sacrifice the usefulness of it to its students either.
I'm excited to see what our new website will look like, which, fun fact, is being recreated on WordPress. Hopefully it functions a lot better too.
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