Mel Rolle's CMS 3710 Project 2 Web Site Analysis:
Dot.Comedy.com
Introduction
What does a web site dedicated to comedy and a Communications and Media studies major at Clayton State University have in common? (An attention-grabber…and a required hyperlinked sentence)
Dot.comedy offers stressed and video—obsessed viewers an escape from life’s troubles through laughter. The web site is a 2007 South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) Web Awards finalist in the Amusement category. Since its online debut in 2006, Dot.Comedy has experienced a minor setback. According to Mark Hefflinger, NBC Universal considered shutting down the web site because of a 30% “traffic plunge” in 2007 (Digital Media Wire). Today, the web site features stand-up comedy from newcomers and well known comedians. It also showcases video clips of some of the funniest televisions shows, trailers and behind-the-scenes footage of new comedy films, original shorts and digital series, and viral videos (See Figure 1). Most importantly, Dot.comedy allows users to access comedy banned from network television shows like NBC’s Saturday Night Live.
Figure 1
Dot.comedy's home page.
Overview of Web site Analysis
This web site analysis will evaluate Dot.comedy.com on the basis of the following:
- Theme
- Interface Design
- Typography
- Color
- Multimedia
Dot.comedy’s purpose is to entertain users by showcasing comedy from television, film, and viewer submissions. Simply put, its goal is to “MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH.” Does Dot.comedy’s theme reflect its goal? Does the site’s interface design, color, typography, etc. reflect its theme? My analysis is based on concepts provided by Hillman Curtis in MTIV: Process, Inspiration and Practice for the New Media Designer, and Sarah Horton and Patrick J. Lynch in Web Style Guide: 3rd edition.
Mel Rolle
CMS 3710
Updated: 20 April 2009