Before teams really start getting amped for the next FRC season, there is something that needs to be said. Teams' websites can really use some tender love and care. There are plenty of excellent teams that have websites that either are stuck in 2000 or don't relay the message the team is trying to send. Not to be mean but, there is a reason Yahoo! rid itself of Geocities. Trust me; it is for the better, that we try not to repeat the mistakes in those sites in our sites. Yes, I do recognize that some teams' members in charge of the websites never took a course in web design; that is why I'm creating this thread — to help
FIRST teams have a higher standard in designing websites, writing/formatting copy for websites, etc.
Voice overs
Yes, don't laugh, I have seen this done on a couple team sites… Say you're on a team 0000's homepage; you hover over a link that reads "Team 0000", and immediately, an audio clip plays and says, "Learn more about team 0000, it's members…". Maybe the link should read "About Team 0000" or "About Us."
If you feel you have to present the user with an audio clip when they visit a page or hover over a link, you're not giving the user enough context on the page itself.
Paragraph alignment
Paragraphs of copy (not including asides and pull-out quotes) should never be center aligned. The copy should always be aligned to the left or right (depending on standard formatting or language). Centering multiple lines of text, causes the level of readability to fall.
Typography/Font usage
This is a general note. Font's have personalities and meanings. They can be traditional, modern, playful, serious, etc. (Example: Comic Sans is playful and is okay if your intended target is little kids) You need to choose the right one.
This presentation from earlier this year may help.
While we are still all in maintenance mode, let's help them help themselves to produce better products. If you have any tips, or have found something interesting in an article, please share.
Note: Be polite when providing tips in a general thread, don't call out specific teams that are going about something the wrong way. Instead, show them examples of how to correct their mistake.