1. Web Site EVALUATION WORKSHEET
Information
Site name: CNN
URL: www.cnn.com
Evaluated by: Aaron Laird
First Impression: [1 poor --- 5 excellent]: 3
Initial Impact of Page:
__Simple __X_Overwhelming ______Underwhelming
__X_Chaotic _____Attractive _____Ugly
General Comments:
The site is not unattractive, but it is fairly cluttered. Your eyes are drawn to the top two
stories, which include photographs and larger text than what’s found on the rest of the
homepage.
Identity:
Based solely on information presented, identify site owner and describe general type of
site:
One would assume that CNN is the site owner, as “CNN” is written across the top of
the page, and that the focus of the site is mostly centered on politics.

2. Web Site Evaluation Worksheet Page 2
Purpose
Based upon quick inspection, identify the basic points of the site. What basic functions
would it likely provide?
Basic points of the site include an internal search option, quick navigation to “top
news” stories, and links to other news stories by topic: entertainment, technology,
health, living, travel, opinion, ireport (a section where site users can post news stories),
money, sports, justice, U.S., world, and politics. There are also links to a video section
and a “news pulse” section.
There’s an area on the right side of the site where individuals can log in and be updated
on their friend’s activity, news pulse, local weather and news, sports, markets, and
races. Presumably once you create an account you can tailor it to your specific location
and perhaps link it to other sites to which you belong, such as Facebook or Twitter.
There are links to latest news stories on the left of the site and links to CNN TV along
the bottom of the site.
You can set which edition of the site you would like to view (U.S., International,
Mexico).
Audience
Based upon quick inspection, consider who the audience for the site would be:
The audience for the site could be anyone interested in reading local, national, or
international news. Probably not children, though.
GENERAL SITE CHARACTERISTICS
Site Structure
Is a site map provided?
_X_ Yes
__ No
Are there any broken links to external sites or internal pages?
___ Yes
__X_ No
If yes, are they broken links

3. Web Site Evaluation Worksheet Page 3
___ Yes
___ No
___ Both
What is the maximum page depth in the site (clicks from the home page)?
Two clicks.
Are there clear entrance and exit pages to the site?
_X__ Yes
___ No
___ describe if so: The link to the home page is always available in the upper left
corner, and the log in/log out link is always available in the upper right corner.
Visuals and Layout
Describe the visuals used in the site:
Do you like the visuals?
___ Yes
_X__ No
Why or why not? Too cluttered. The color scheme is appealing, though.
How is the screen contrast [(poor) 1–5 (excellent)]? 5
If poor, describe why:
Describe text size
_X_ Too small

4. Web Site Evaluation Worksheet Page 4
__ Just right
__ Too large
Resize the browser very large or very small.
Does the layout still work?
_X_ Yes
__ No
Do the text or images scale with the window size?
_X_ Yes
__ No
Is the layout width static (stays the same size) or does it grow with the screen size?
__ Static
_X_ Stretchable
If the site has a static width, does the page fit or is there rightward scrolling at:
800 x 600?
__ Fits
__ Scrolls right
1024 x 768 and greater?
__ Fits
__ Scrolls right
With respect to vertical screen size, does the primary navigation fit on screen at:
800 x 600?
__ Fits
__ Scrolls off
1024 x 768 and greater?
__ Fits
__ Scrolls off
Do pages print correctly as is, or is a special print feature provided?
__ Prints correctly without special print page

5. Web Site Evaluation Worksheet Page 5
_X_ Prints correctly with special print page
__ Doesn’t print correctly
What kinds of images are used in the site?
__ GIF
_X_ JPEG
_X_ PNG
__ Other
Are the images optimized properly? (e.g., small file size, safe colors)?
_X_ Yes
__ No
Are there image execution problems (e.g., color matching, seems showing in
background tiles, etc.)?
__ Yes
_X_ No
Describe: ____________________________________
Is ALT text used for images?
__ Yes
__ No
_X_ Partially
Is the site usable without images on?
_X_ Yes
__ No
__ Partially
General Content
Does content appear accurate and truthful?
_X_ Yes
__ No

6. Web Site Evaluation Worksheet Page 6
If no, describe what suggests this belief:
_______________________________________________________________________
Are there obvious misspellings in the site?
__ Yes
_X_ No
Are there obvious grammar or usage errors in the site?
__ Yes
_X_ No
If yes, describe these errors: (e.g., fragments, run-ons, heavy use of acronyms without
explanation)
_______________________________________________________________________
Describe the tone of content in the site (e.g., playful, business like, serious, humorous):
Relatively serious and businesslike, there seems to be no agenda other than reporting the
news (not an extreme right or left wing website).
Is content updated on the site?
_X_ Yes
__ No
How do you know the content is updated?
The site regularly posts breaking news stories, nearly hourly news updates, and often
offers live video footage.
TECHNOLOGY USAGE
Browser Support
Does the site work in different browsers? List the browsers you use to test and its
versions:
Yes. Google Chrome and Internet Explorer 8.
Page loading time
__ slow (over 20 seconds)
_X_ fast
Navigation

7. Web Site Evaluation Worksheet Page 7
Primary Navigation (select one or more):
_X_ Top
__ Bottom
__ Left
__ Right
Does the site use assistance links (breadcrumbs)?
__ Yes
_X_ No
Consistency of navigation placement: [ 1 (random)–5 (very stable) ]
5
Comments on navigation placement:
Clear, easy to navigate.
Does navigation in the site rely on the back button?
__ Yes
_X_ No
Is a “back-to-top” button used on longer pages which require the user to scroll?
__ Yes
__ No
Search
Does site have an internal search system?
__ Yes
_X_ No
If no, should one be included?
__ Yes
__ No
Why?
_______________________________________________________________________

8. Web Site Evaluation Worksheet Page 8
Use of multimedia elements on the page:
THE FINAL SCORE
Final Score—[ (Dislike) 1–5 (Like a lot) ]:
4
Evaluation Summary:
The site functions well and is easy to navigate, though the home page does appear a bit
crowded, which is really the only off-putting thing about the site. There are quite a few
advertisements on the site, but aside from the ad that appears at the upper right corner of
the page, they are relatively small and unobtrusive. The large video and the large photo
that appear at the top of the page, directly below the navigation bar, are a little irritating
at first because it almost feels like they are blocking your view of something (they’re
not). However, once you become accustomed to them, this is no longer an issue. Overall
the site is clean and it functions well.
Suggestions for Improvement:
The latest news links, which appear on the left side of the page, might look less jumbled
if there was a space between each link, though that might be impossible in terms of page
setup. And of course fewer ads always make a site more appealing, but, again, that may
be impossible.