Week 2- Post 2 DPA vs Art Department- a slaughter

http://www.clemson.edu/caah/art/toc/index.htm

http://www.fx.clemson.edu/showcase.html

It may seem that I could be a bit biased on the subject of these two sites (since I am a DPA student), but I’ll try to be as “fair and balanced” as possible. Also, take note that I was a Studio Art major in undergrad. I’ll start with the Clemson Digital Production Arts website. A while ago I viewed this site to get as much information as possible about the DPA program before starting. It was very convenient not only for reasons of giving me what I was looking for exactly, but giving me much more. It gives a broad overview of the program and what it takes to get accepted. The site is nicely laid out with a visual theme of high-tech art in orange and purple that seems to represent the department and the university very well. Not long after, visiting I was viewing some of the department's 3D animated productions and going over the DPA course sequences. It is also nicely spaced and requiring a minimal amount of scrolling throughout the site.

A few years ago, I came across the Clemson Art department site and was turned off immediately. This was during a time when I new I wanted to purse more than undergraduate studies in a higher learning environment, but wasn’t quite sure what to strive for. This site is intended to represent the artists of a university and it looks like a visual nightmare. The site itself is disproportioned where the navigational buttons are given too much room and the information section requires a large amount of scrolling down the page. The viewer has to select the link on the left side and then move over to the right side to scroll down. One of the first things I wanted to do was view some of the students work (in an attempt to determine the schools credibility as an art school. This was no easy task, but was eventually able to stumble across for student art work that was placed n exhibit in 1998 (horribly outdated). The site’s color scheme is primarily black and yellow, which does work well- not so much because it not the universities theme, but because it is a bit hard on the eyes. Last, but not least, the site is always sectioned off by two separating bars, one horizontal and one vertical. At least, there is a new and hopefully better Clemson Art Department site under construction. Lets hope it gives Clemson University Artists a bit more justice.