To start off, there are 3 main links, which specifies the language of the website. Below, there are 30-so secondary links, which are pages that contain even more links. The groupings make sense, since they have so many; there is a possibility to be very specific. The hierarchy among the navigation systems is not apparent because the 30-so secondary links are stacked on the left side of the page, whereas the three languages are above these. However, the links on the left have bigger type font than the three languages, despite the fact that the language links are centered and placed right below the photo of their new CD cover. Therefore, the creator of the website assumed that people would know English and click on the buttons on the left side, and then later realize that they could view it in 2 other languages. Perhaps making the languages more prominent may help foreigners to surf this site more easily. To make sure that this hierarchy is not confusing, they can have a website that only gives the option of choosing one of the three languages, and then proceed to the actual website.
When one of the many links on the left-hand side of the page is clicked on, it is highlighted to indicate which section you are in in the website. Once you click on a link that is not within the secondary links, then you are only left with the title of the link you just clicked to inform you of where you are in the site. Going back to the home page is, again, like most other websites, easily accessed by clicking on the "Poets of the Fall" logo on the upper left-hand corner.
The site appears to have a very complicated map, since there are many external links. One of the secondary links, the "Shop" link, actually directs you to another tab/window, which was unexpected. Usually external links were placed under the secondary links, but to have one of them open up a new window without any notice was an unpleasant surprise. This problem could be solved by having a pop-up window warn the user that they will be directed to another site. With a hierarchical architecture comes the benefit of a clean look for a website with so many links. If the architecture was to be flat, there would be too much scrolling and it would be difficult to create a website that would go along with the feel of the band.
In terms of the content, all of the dates had yellow font, and the headlines were bolded and had a greater font size. There was a distinction between external and internal links, with the exception of the "Shop" link, as mentioned earlier. Those that were external had regular font, while the internal ones were bolded. This was not so clear in the beginning, and it would certainly make the visitors to this site think less if this was explained one way or the other. The labels of the navigation were a bit too specific. There were some that I thought could be grouped together. For example, the "Music, Videos, Lyrics, and Links tabs could have grouped under one category, perhaps called, "POTF Media."
Despite the fact that there is too much information, the website exemplifies a high level of consistency. The focal point is always the cover of their new CD, which adds a different dimension to the pell-mell layout and contributes to the rusted look that the rest of the page embodies. Keeping photos to the minimum may be a good idea. This is because it would definitely be better to continuously target the visitor's eyes towards the new CD cover so that they may recognize it when shopping.
The colors used are very minimal and dark, usually hues of yellow, black, and brown. Again, this is to give the website a rusted look, and to have it go along with the rusted barbed wire at the bottom of the page. The links on the left side are distinguished from the rest of the website by giving it a washed-out black background, whereas the pages the links direct to are separated by a box with stained edges.
The purpose of this site is to create publicity for this band, and spread the word about POTF. This could mean having people visit their YouTube channel, or buy POTF gear to increase exposure of the band to the public eye. There is no search function, which may have some people feeling limited as to what they can do on the website. Nonetheless, the elaborate links on the site can do more than enough for people looking for something specific. The latest news list on the right column of the website is what I find the most useful, since the content, for the most part, does not change much unless there is a new release.
There is an absence of icons/symbols, but this goes along with the rusted ambience; icons would make the website look less real (?). I came upon a very confusing part, however, was the fact that when looking at the photo gallery. Clicking on one of the pictures to enlarge it, you can browse through by clicking on the "next" and "previous" links on the top right hand corner. When you click on the picture, itself, though, the window simply closes. I have tried to find any warnings, but the only one I got was in Internet Explorer with pop-up window. It manages to close without notice in Firefox. Perhaps a little note would do, or have it so that clicking on the picture, just like other websites (Facebook), would allow you to go to the next photo.
