ARTs Entertainment Site

PATTERN DEFINITION/OUTLINE

Pattern type:
Site

Pattern name:
Arts-Entertainment Site

Also known as:


Description:
Arts-Entertainment Site is the exemplar for sites delivering online digital media and media programs. This pattern forms the core of all sites specializing in engaging, experience-driven content. Other site genres can be integrated such as valuable company sites, personal e-commerce, educational forums.
Is a website for which an individual normally associated with an educational institution periodically generates text, photographs, video, audio files, and/or links. It may include or be associated with a blog, wiki, or other patterns, but it is essentially defined by the presence of one or more course syllabi
Examples: archiva.net,

Patterns that it plays a part of (to which it is related):
VALUABLE COMPANY SITES, PERSONAL E-COMMERCE, EDUCATIONAL FORUMS

Other Patterns to consider:
HOMEPAGE PORTAL, MULTIPLE NAVIGATION METHODS, CONTENT MODULES; CONSISTENT SIDEBARS OF RELATED CONTENT

Patterns that make up an Arts-Entertainment site:
Features menu, Header, Footer, Content, Nav, Web applications, Rich Media, Galleries, etc.


Problems:
• Principal challenge of arts-Entertainment sites is to overcome the challenge of overly complex and hard-to-use interfaces.
• People do not want to watch programs or view animated slideshows that they did not request/select themselves.
• Sites that require or utilize complex navigation schemes tend to lose visitors quickly.
• Visitors are prepared to be challenged with media and entertainment, but want CHOICES.
• Must anticipate and respond to user needs.
• Because online arts, entertainment, exhibit, gallery sites come in so many different forms, there needs to be clarity of purpose and focus of experience from the first “hit”.
• Set site expectations before breaking design “rules”. Setting user expectations is a key condition of site design.
• Navigational interactions must be well-structured and not overwhelming (quantity).