Examples of Exceptional Content on the Homepage of WPI

James Petullo
TheIndexError
Published in
1 min readOct 24, 2018

An strategic feature of academic websites is the main navigation bar. Collegiate webpage tabs must guide prospective students, faculty, enrolled pupils, alumni, and many others through the maze of information, events, listings, and activities that a thriving institution provides. A prime example of such routing can be found on the WPI menu panel:

The navigation menu above contains three core features that allow for a successful experience on the site. First, every link is grouped according a relevant category. For example, topics regarding academics are appropriately listed under a generous header, while broader links are still incorporated under a listing related to Project-Based Learning. Second, appropriate text colors and spacing has be applied to ensure a high quality of clarity for the viewer. The dull, pencil-orange header color provides a warm, inviting display when contrasted with the gray background of the menu. In turn, the bright-gray color for each link distinguishes itself from its header. The bold, uppercase links in the top-right corner of the menu distinguishes the information pertaining to the people involved with the community from the inanimate content. Lastly, adequate spacing between links provides a gentler viewing experience and increases the viewer’s interest in the content.

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