The three department homepages differ in organization and design. Sydney University uses a horizontal menu and images to convey information simply. Warwick University's page is more text-based with a tabulated vertical menu. Notre Dame's page resembles a printed paper, with information divided into left and right panels. All three aim to attract users with promises of tradition, excellence and opportunities for students.

1. THREE HOMEPAGES
IN COMPARISON:
University of Sydney
University Of Warwick
University of Notre Dame (Indiana)
http://philosophy.nd.edu/
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/philosophy/
http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/departs/philos/

2. WARWICK
UNIVERSITY
NOTRE DAME
UNIVERSITY
SYDNEY
UNIVERSITY

3. SYDNEY: Departement of Philosophy
LEFT-RIGHT ORGANIZATION

4. SUPERCLUSTERS CLUSTERS MASTHEAD
The web page is clearly SCREANY: there isn’t written text but just
images and an Horizontal menu where, on mouse roll-over, appear
dropdown windows.
It’s made up of different minigenres.

5. STRUCTURE:
Top Panel
Horizontal Menu
Images
Use of COLOURS: Bright and shine for attract attention.
The site has a modern and fresh look.
Use of SPACE: It’s well-organized. Information appear
in dropdown menus, short and clear.

6. Top Panel
Search engine
Logo:
of the page
Antique and
Classical look
• coat of arms Real World:
• heraldic signs contacts and links, in
opposition with the IDEAL
• use of latin
WORLD presented on
An IDEAL link with the top of the page
the ancient roots of
the univesity
A REAL link to the
homepage of the
university

7. Horizontal
Menu
Every botton on mouse rollover
opens a dropdown window with
other links
Programs for Studies and
Presentation students and reserches of the General programs,
of the faculty possibilities for department argument and
future historical characters
Contacts:
Curricula of the contemplated Technical
Phone accademic staff, information
numbers, teachers and tutors about the
addresses connected with this centre
and e-mails subject Seminars
conferences
and events

8. Central
Panel
There are no written panels
but just images (important
semyotic resouces) that
show:
Buildings and Parks and nature: Town:
students:
Attention for Ecology and Possibilities and
Ancient tradition and health. Peaceful place. perspectives offered by a
historical structures big metropolis; tecnology
and innovation
Relational and Mental processes of meaning
Images are CENTRE OF VISUAL IMPACT, most of all the one in the middle

9. ACCESSIBILITY AND USABILITY:
The MENU is short and essential, intuitive and practical: it’s
easy to find information.
There are QUICK LINKS and a SEARCH ENGINE
Language: simple, for everyone
HOW THE PAGE ATTRACTS THE ATTENTION OF THE USER:
With the use of COLOURS and PHOTOS
A subject like Philosophy, with ancient origins, is represented as modern and
current, as real, considered with technology and the promise of innovation.
An abstract study analyzed in his concrete aspects, too.

10. HOW FIND THE DEPARTMENT’S SITE FROM THE HOMEPAGE:
The process is easy:
“Faculties & schools” “Schools/ departments” Choose “PHILOSOPHY”

11. WARWICK: Department of Philosophy
TOP
DOWN
ORGANIZATION

12. SUPERCLUSTERS CLUSTERS TITLE
This web page is in part SCREANY, full of links and with
interactive menus; but partially PAGEY, organized as a
printed paper.

13. STRUCTURE:
Top Panel The website has to be analyzed in
columns from left to right
Left Panel Right panel There’s a blue frame all around the
page that linked all the components of
the page
Vertical
Central
menu
panel
Use of COLOUR: The page is predominantly blue and violet,
without other elements of colour or images,
just some simple shapes
Use of SPACE: The page is schematic, without
different or particular genres,
organized in sections

14. Top Panel
Right Panel
Link to the
Homepage of the
university
There is the possibility
to examine the page Search engine
There is without graphic
no logo elements but just with
of the
written text university
REAL WORLD Links and
In opposition to IDEAL information for
WORLD of the department secretariats

15. Vertical Menu
Link to the
homepage of the Information about admissions
department for undergraduate and
postgraduate students
Names, Photos, adresses and
curricula of professors, administrators
and other relevant members Perspectives for students,
information about
teaching, degrees and
Partial list of students opportunities offered by
who have a webpage the department
Activities,
seminars,
A calendar with all centres
Link to a forum the activities
only for Reserches in
Philosophy Staff Philosophy and
Literature
The tabulated menu is functional and of rapid use, clear in the structure and rich of
information and useful links.

16. Central Panel
Short introduction of the faculty: Warwick is
presented as “one of Britain's most dynamic and
prosperous universities” and the department is
declared “of international reputation” for
excellence in teaching and reserch
Central panel considers again the links
proposed in vertical menu and gives a
short explanation of the topics that we
can find in this section.
Every link is associated with a SHAPE:
a star, a triangle, a sphere, an ear.
But apparently there aren’t
connections between them: shapes
haven’t got a particular meaning that
identify the section of the site.

17. USABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
There are some information repeated in the page:
unclear, find information is not easy
There is a SEARCH ENGINE
HOW ATTRACTS THE ATTENTION OF THE USER
There aren’t relevant aspects for catch the interest of the
user.
Simplicity could make the page more clear but the poor
facade and the apparent confusion certainly don’t help for a
positive visual impact of the site.
There are no aspects connected with the ancient tradition of
the discipline but not even about the news of the subject,
there are no offers or perspectives for students.

18. HOW FIND THE DEPARTMENT’S SITE FROM THE HOMEPAGE:
Is difficult to find the page because the Department of Philosophy is considered as part of Social
Science Faculty
“Quick links” “Department and “Faculty of social “Philosophy”
services” studies”

19. NOTRE-DAME: Department of Philosophy
LEFT-RIGHT ORGANIZATION
TOP
DOWN
ORGANIZATION

20. SUPERCLUSTERS CLUSTERS TITLE
This Web page is predominantly PAGEY: information are
ordered as in a printed paper.

21. STRUCTURE:
Top Panel
Top Bar
Left Right
Panel Panel Masthead (logo
+ name) is in
Bottom Bar
bottom-right
corner
Information are divided
in two panels, there isn’t
a central panel.
Use of COLOURS: The webpage is predominantly black and grey, colours are concentrated
in the image on the right. The only light represent the knowledge that breaks
the darkness of ignorance.
Use of SPACE: Space is well-organized but too much information are concentrated in central
panels

22. Top Panel
Simple, without images or
logos: there are only university’s
name and the subject of the
department
There is no logo
Search Link to the
engine of Homepage
the page
The image on the right is the CENTRE OF VISUAL IMPACT. It attracts
user’s attention because is the only element of colour in the page.
It shows a man with dresses in old-fashion style absorbed in his studies:
the concrete representation of the faculty, personification of the wise
philosopher that reveal the world with the power of his mind.
The sun coming from the window attract the attention and represent the
light of knowledge.

23. Top Bar
Simple and clear. The top bar presents
an horizontal menu with all the
activities connected with the
department
Short Staff and Admissions,
presentation and students requirement for Reserch’s centers
introduction to students and information
the department Technical about the Paper
information for linked with the
registration and University
formal elements

24. Central Panels
Short presentation of the faculty
and of the perspectives for the
students
News and Links:
simple and well-
organized
But information are
not easy to find

25. ACCESSIBILITY AND USABILITY:
There are clear links on the top bar but a lot of information in
the two panels.
SEARCH ENGINE is easy to find but we must retourn to the
homepage to use it
LANGUAGE: is not always simple and
clear, instructions are confused
HOW THE PAGE ATTRACTS THE ATTENTION OF THE USER:
With ancient ideals, tradition and promises of wisdom and a cultural setting full
of brilliant minds and professional stuff, possibilities open for every student.

26. HOW FIND THE DEPARTMENT’S SITE FROM THE HOMEPAGE:
The process for find the page is long but easy and intuitive, just a bit confused
“Major, programs and “Link to the Homepage
departments” “21 departments” “Philosophy” of the department”

27. University of Sydney:

28. University of Warwick:

29. University of Notre Dame:

30. ORGANIZATION OF
MENUS
USE OF SPACE
USE OF IMAGES (as
meaning-making process)
ACCESSIBILITY
USABILITY
ATTRACTION
FOR THE USER
EASE IN FINDING
THE PAGE