Who am I?

I am Michel Blok and 25 years old. I am coming from the Netherlands which is quite a bit away as you can see on the image on the right! I study in Amsterdam and live 3km from the coast at a town called IJmuiden. I am studying Business Intelligence and now at the beginning of my third year in which I need to do an internship.

Why an internship abroad?

Because I can… No, three years ago after I finished my previous study (System and Network Manager) and went traveling around the world. For a year I traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Cook Islands and a lot of Asia. That triggered me to travel even more but also realized that I needed to study, to get a job which puts me in the position to work abroad. In the second year of my studies, we were asked to start looking for an internship in the Netherlands or abroad. I straight away saw it as an possibility to feed my desire of traveling and started looking for interesting companies abroad.

How did I find Lightspeed?

Me and my mate from school (Ron) both wanted to study abroad together. We applied at more than 70 companies through email and simply by calling all around the world. For a few months we tried, but realized after a while that our method wasn’t working, simply because the companies wanted an insurance of a mediation company. So we contacted a mediation company in Indonesia and South Africa to see what would happen. These countries interest me because I haven’t yet been there and they have very different cultures as we know them at home. Africa has a good climate and a great diversity of things to do. And most of all, straight away we had a good contact with 4exchange which were very helpful and brought us in contact with Ashley of Lightspeed.

When did we seal the deal?

When we mailed our “requirement/assignment list” to Ashley, he responded with more information than we ever received before. It was also written with a great excitement about Lightspeed as a company and its possibilities. It appealed to us that Lightspeed is working by the method Scrum and is very flexible company to gain the most out of its employees. So we discussed for a while with Ashley about our assignments and the requirements of school, and finally at 21st of July we sealed the deal and arranged everything for our trip to South Africa.

Our plans for the coming five months?

Learn a lot at lightspeed and help them setting up their new company Feedmymedia. Develop my English and get familiar with working by Scrum. Make working with all Google Apps and WordPress my own and help there where needed within the company. Beside working I would like to go to Robben Island, do the Shark Dive, do the highest Bungyjump and experience the African culture!

At the moment this is my third day in SA and second day at Lightspeed and the team is great. I have to say so far so good and think that I will have an amazing time the next coming five months!

Cheers,
Michel

I am a third-year student at the School for Economics and Management in Amsterdam (http://www.international.hva.nl/). For my Bachelors program in Business Information Technology, I will conduct an internship for the duration of five months from September 2010 until January 2011. I already did an internship twice but never done it international. I think it will be very instructive because I would like to gain more international business experience and nevertheless improve my English. I already have some business experience because I have worked as an IT consultant for five years and founded a mobile ticketing platform in the Netherlands.

At LightSpeed I will cooperate in an environment based on the scrum methodology. It’s a different approach then I’m used to in the Netherlands and I like it already. Also I will have to do a lot with social media which is booming business at the moment and for my study I will write a functional/technical design for a project management system.

As you can read there is a lot of work to do so i’m ending this post and get to work. Thereby I must also enjoy the live in Cape Town / South-Africa which is already very fascinating to me.

The Home page is clear and crisp and overall I like the design. There are possibilities to free up some white space as mentioned in my previous blog entry (Lightspeed Redesign Evaluation – Part 1) but it almost seems unnecessary.

When comparing the different designs for the Home page, I prefer Home 1.

Here’s why:

The use of the portfolio at the bottom of Home 2 is striking and makes the page more colourful, but it can also have the effect of making the page feel too busy. It also overloads me with too much information about something that might be off topic with regard to my reason for visiting the site. With my first click, landing on the Homepage, I want to know about Lightspeed, not every other company it’s ever dealt with.   With the use of testimonials at the bottom with Home 1, you are conveying something different to your customers – Trust. I’ve rarely come across testimonials on the home page of a website and it might be something that people have avoided because testimonials are often heavily used in advertising for cheap diet products, but the use of it here (with the the link to the website or person) shows confidence.

I would however suggest that the testimonial speech bubbles be coloured with a slight tint to better separate it from the background.

I also like that With the ‘Get started now’ button and the “Subscribe to our newsletter’ box there are immediate opportunities for me to interact with Lightspeed.

On the Portfolio page, as mentioned in the blog post on Typography and Colour use, I might suggest adding a bit more whitespace between the frames, as it feels a bit cluttered.

The content should comprise little write-ups of the projects or clients on display in the portfolio and highlight some of the unique features of that project.

Portfolio Single page

I really like this page. Just the text in the Comment section should be changed to “Leave a comment” instead of “Leave a reply”. There is nothing to be replied upon, only content to be commented on.

The action buttons are nicely done in orange, but also reside at the bottom of the page, needing the user to scroll down to see them. This might be a good thing if the intent is to only attract ardent and thorough applicants who would read the entire page and scroll down, but won’t do much for someone scanning the site for opportunities on the fly.

These sections with action buttons – ‘Apply for a position’ and ‘Visit the interns page’ – would be better served if the appeared to the right of the content and not at the bottom of the page. To create space for this, the listed qualities under the  ‘What we are looking for’ section can be cropped on the right.

Suggested Content: Apply for a position box

See what exciting opportunities are available to join our dynamic team.

Suggested Content: Visit the Interns page box

Find out about opportunities to learn and gain valuable work experience at Lightspeed. See what past interns have to say and find the resources to help get you started.

Careers – Careers Apply

Here everything seems straight forward. As  I understand the ‘Click here’ link will take you to the form at the bottom of the page. This form could benefit with a bit more information explaining the different fields. See the changes on the following image:

Careers – Intern Apply

The Intro box of text can be cropped to half its size and have a picture to the right of it, making the page more engaging. Also the flow of the informational sections can be changed to have the ‘Current Internship Vacancy’ above the ‘Intern agencies’ section. You want to get interns interested first, before you give them assistance.

The suggestion for the application form mentioned above will also apply here.

This page is clear, but perhaps the use of a picture, cropping the first text box to the right might liven it up.

Suggested Content: For the Intro paragraph in this area

(Note:  For the text here you want to get at the heart of your business.)
Lightspeed prides itself on developing cutting edge digital strategies for your individual business needs. Whether you are just starting out on the web or need help in improving part of your existing online presence, we have the solutions you need.

Suggested Content: For the Services box

Here at Lightspeed we understand that there are times you need to improve parts of your digital strategy. Try our great offerings in standalone services from Hosting, SEO, to Maintenance or combine these services into a product offering that ideally fits your business needs.

Suggested Content: For the Services box

Starting with your digital strategy, setting up a new business?
Choose one of our cost effective and all inclusive packages – including design and / or templates, hosting and e-mails! All add-ons, products and applications available.

Features – Services AND Features – Packages

These two pages basically comprise similar information, so the following applies to both:
The Services screen gives you further information on the services on offer but there is no action buttons or links to take you to an action. Only the Quick Contact area is available, or else the user will have to click the top ‘Contact’ Tab. Linking from here to the application section could improve usability.
Also, as shown in the image below, when selecting a service from the list, the description box of the service will be displayed underneath. This description might benefit from the use of a different font, fontsize or colour.

With regards to White Space, there is an opportunity to add more whitespace between the Packages paragraph and the ‘What we offer’ section, depending of course on the content of the paragraph and if it doesn’t hinder the flow of information.
The paragraphs under the list items could also be cropped or boxed in more to the left, freeing some white space to the right.

Suggested Content:

Features – Services

Lightspeed’s services are tailored to your unique business needs. We believe that the marketing must lead the technology. We undertake extensive strategic work prior to building each digital campaign. We offer the following services:

Features – Packages

Our packages are designed to give you optimum benefit of our talents and are available in a variety of offerings that spans Hosting, Optimization, Maintenance and Community Networks.

The use of the quote in the centre of the page is powerful. I might suggest using a different colour, size and font for the text.
In example, see the following screenshot taken from Dustin Curtis’s site. He is a User Interface designer with a history in neuroscience and in his blog’s design typography is prominent and used to great effect:

http://dustincurtis.com/to-fasten-your-seatbelt.html

Under the ‘We realize that…’ heading in the first paragraph, I would suggest you link to the pages mentioned there:
“no one can promote us more effectively than our existing clients, so take a look at their testimonials. Take a look at our portfolio page to have a look at some of our previous projects.”
In example:

VS

About – Team

Obviously the text here is still missing. I would suggest either having every employee write up his/her own description, or at least have a quote. This will show to users that there are actual people behind the photographs, a bit of personality and that personal touch lacking in many businesses.

Suggested Content: For the Intro paragraph in this area

‘LightSpeed’s team exists of a well-balanced and highly motivated group of digital professionals. We value innovation, efficiency and are determined to deliver a product of the highest quality. We are passionate about opensource software in general and wordpress as a platform specifically.

Our team dynamic is augmented by our international interns, adding a unique and beneficial angle to the team atmosphere.’

With regards to the photographs, competitor Virtuosa has taken the extra steps to have profile pages set up for each employee/team member. Although at this time separate profile pages might be unnecessary, there is something to learn from them. They have taken the time to add effects to their staff photos, making these areas much more striking.

http://www.virtuosa.co.za/team/

About Us Sidebar

The About Us section appears in most sidebars on the different pages (Services, Packages, Portfolio Single and Contact Us pages) repeating the same information. It can be considered to have this section contain different information sets on each page that it is presented, each offering information on the company’s values, character and offerings. This way you keep this area relevant for the user who is really reading the website in depth. See it as a chance to ‘hook’ the reader and constantly promote your business. If the user wants to read the full About Us story it can simply click on the link provided in this section.

Part 1: Web Typography

1.1 Legibility and Readability

With regards to legibility, the site is legible and easy to read, with the normal contrast of black on white. The font is Tahoma, which is sans serif. It can be mentioned that a serif font is said to be easier to read/recognize/legible for the reader.

1.2 Measure (line length)

Line length is estimated to be optimal between 45 – 75 characters, with the average being used today coming in at 75 – 85 characters. Lightspeed’s new design mostly stays comfortably within these parameters. Longer lines apparently yield better results in web browsers.

Leading is the space between two consecutive lines of text. The widely accepted rule of thumb for leading is to have it at 1.5 x the font size. Currently the Lightspeed design is around 1.83 x font size, depending on the block. To see the difference, view the picture below.

Tightening the Leading in these areas could free up some whitespace if needed.

2. White Space

Tightening the leading in the different paragraphs could free up some more White Space. Alternatively a possible solution to get more whitespace could be to set the type slightly smaller

On the Portfolio page specifically, I might suggest adding a bit more whitespace between the frames, as it feels a bit cluttered.

Also, on the Services or Features page (I see the tab says Services, but the PSD Features) there is an opportunity to add more whitespace between the Packages paragraph and the ‘What we offer’ section, depending of course on the content of the paragraph and if it doesn’t hinder the flow of information.

3. Vertical Rhythm

Overall there is good vertical rhythm throughout the site. On the home page, better vertical Rhythm can be achieved by making the icons the same size (Icons for Digital Design and Development, CMS etc.)

4. Paragraph styling

As no block of information contains more than one paragraph, the styling is in line with standard conventions

5. Font

The current used font is Tahoma, it is a widely accepted standard. As a sans serif font, this is easy to read and understand.

Part 2: Colour Usage

1. Color and Usability

Overall the Usability of Lightspeeds’ website is clearly indicated with the use of orange for the action buttons, Green as the heading informational buttons and blue for the top tabs. One might change the colors on these tabs to make each of them stand out more, but this is unnecessary and will clash with the spare use of color as it is now.

2. Color and Engagement

The use of Orange as the color for action buttons makes it easy for the visitor to the site to engage and get started, without getting lost in a sea of information. On the Home page the Green ‘subscribe to our newsletter’ box also makes it easy to notice and interact with.

However, the ‘Get Started Now’ button takes you to the Services screen which gives you further information on the services and packages on offer and from there no action buttons or links exist to actually take you to an action. Only the Quick Contact area is available, or else the user will have to click the top Tab.

Furthermore, I might suggest having the quick contact box also in green, thereby denoting all action areas that give the user the opportunity to engage with the site in color.

On the Careers Tab, the action buttons are nicely done in orange, but also reside at the end of the page, needing the user to scroll down to see them. This might be a good thing if the intent is to only attract ardent and thorough applicants who would read the entire page and scroll down, but won’t do much for someone scanning the site for opportunities on the fly.

3. Color and Experience

The heavy use of white, and then balanced by blue as a framework color gives the Lightspeed look a feeling of professionalism and clarity. It seems honest and to the point, which I think is a good impression of the company. Quality, honesty and speed.

This will be the first in a series of blog posts regarding the redesign of the LightSpeed website.

Who:

I’m Barend, student animator and aspirant webcomics creator. I have little experience in the webdevelopment field, but I do use the web extensively. During my internship here at LightSpeed Ashley has asked me to review the new Lightspeed design based on criteria and best practises as set out in The Smashing Book and common sense.

Process involved:

The Design PSD file was evaluated based on Typography, Colour, Usability (as far as this can be tested from a static file) and Content.

Sources of information:

-    The Smashing Book
-    Where examples were taken from other websites, I’ve included a link underneath the screenshots.

Overall I have to say I like the design. It’s clean and crisp. I’ve made recommendations and suggestions where I can, but of course an untrained eye armed with a textbook is no equal to experience and expertise.

Currently I`m studying Business Information Science. This is a study which contains subjects like, business management, marketing, project monitoring, process controlling and we also deal with computer languages like HTML, PHP and CSS.

In the third year of my study, we have an compulsorily internship. The most of the other students in my year stayed in Holland to do there internship there, but I decided to have an bigger challenge and so I looked for internships abroad Holland. After a long search in Europe without any desired results, I found an organisation who arranged internships in Cape Town. I sent them my portfolio and list of demands and after a couple of weeks they found three company’s which were interested after reading my portfolio. After the first contact with Lightspeed I was very enthusiastic and I knew this would be the company I wanted to do my internship. So and now I`m sitting here at the first day of my period for five months.

During the six days I have stayed in Cape Town, I have discovered many things in this area. I think Cape Town is a beautiful and very interesting city with some big contrasts. The environment of Cape Town, with the Table Mountain, Lions Head, Devils Peak are some lovely places to stay. I already have doing a tour on my road bike three times and sometimes I had some breathtaking nice views from up there.

Last Saturday we went go out on Long Street, which was pretty nice! There are a lot of bars and clubs on Long Street were you can chill-out or you can have a big party.

During the rest of my stay I want do a lot of things in and around Cape Town. On top of my to-do-list there is skydiving, visiting some nice vineyards and do a nice hiking around the beautiful environment of South Africa. Besides this top-3 activities I want to visit one of the Townships but also have some great party’s during the December month, train a lot on my road bike, meeting some nice people and enjoying the lovely weather during the famous South African summer.

In a couple of weeks I will probably can tell you more about my stay in Cape Town and Lightspeed. Until that time I will be busy with researching the products Lightspeed are making and updating the Portfolio of products they already finished.