Don't you hate those friends that know everything -- and tell you about how they know everything? They have to be right, and they're smart so usually they are. And those rare moments when you know that they're wrong and you catch them in they're misinformation, and what happens? Someone you're still dumb and they're still right. Welcome to CNN.com -- the know it all of news websites.
It becomes clear - quickly - that the CNN.com site is content heavy (it is a news site after all). Even without the subtle visual noise that letter-forms create the site feels cluttered and somewhat overpowering; but vastly improved over previous incarnations of the site. To me, the header/top portion of the site feels incongruous with the "fixed" style of the rest of the template.
On the postivie side, the information stays along a visible grid with simliar sizes and line heights. The images also have a clear hierarchy that helps to break up the monontiny of text (the featured story occupying the most space in terms of text and image size). Compared to many other large news websites, CNN.com does the best it can at presenting vast quantities of information to a large and varied demographic while remaining clean, uncluttered and predictable (which is a good thing, really; it is).
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Comments (13)
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See:
Excelent idea dude, it's perfect to see, more clearly, how others organize their websites.
Cheers,
Rolando
by Rolando Murillo
10/15/2008/ (07:10)
Thanks Rolando, I appreciate that.
by Paul
10/16/2008/ (12:10)
Great concept.
T.D. Hedengren had another good idea: automating the process somehow. Hmm...
by Michael Montgomery
10/17/2008/ (04:10)
i just need an objective look/see, i inherited the design, we are being forced to use a different design and i'm just looking for ammo to argue we can do our own design better..
anyway, thx for the site, its made me want to go
back to this process that i've used on previous
work.
t.
by Tony A
10/20/2008/ (10:10)
Have to agree with you - predictable is a good thing for CNN!
You have a new subscriber, by the way!
by Richard, Peacock Carter
10/24/2008/ (12:10)
inherited the site? this is "d" site. Your are lucky to have it be part of ur life.
by you know me
10/24/2008/ (03:10)
Why is everyone expecting a democrat to just have a walk in the park on getting elected regardless of what economic problems the country is facing now right now... Maybe if the democratic candidate was caucasian maybe it would be; however , then again maybe not. After all 2004 Presidential was stolen by Republicans. We have to look at the facts and what America is getting ready to turn pages in history. Potentially the first African American in history to be President of the United States. To know degree is this a walk in the park...I wish everyone quit putting down a strategic race by the Democrats.
by Seville Collins
11/03/2008/ (06:11)
@Seville:
Not sure what your comment has to do with CNN.com and its web structure and content. Please try and keep your comments related to the actual post and not a diatribe on something complete unrelated.
by Paul Armstrong
11/04/2008/ (06:11)
This is like being handed a giant bowl of hard candy...now if I could only get the rest of the day off...
Thank you!
by yummykind
11/05/2008/ (04:11)
i URGE THAT YOU GIVE PRESIDENT ELECT OBAMA A BREAK TO RECOVER FROM A HECTIC CAMPAIGN. YOU ARE COMMENTING ON EVERY SNEEZE AND COUGH FROM HIM. WHEN YOU PUT SO MUCH PRESSURE ON HIM, HOW DO YOU EXPECT HIM TO CONCENTRATE? ONLY 4 DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION, HELLO. AMERICAN SYSTEM DOES NOT ENCOURAGE PEOPLE, BUT RATHER TIERING PEOPLE DOWN.
by ANIEKAN
11/07/2008/ (04:11)
@ANIEKAN: Stop screaming. And ... what?
by Paul Armstrong
11/11/2008/ (06:11)
I have a suggested "bail out" for the Big 3. Put the $ in a grant account to be distributed on a per car basis to be distributed to the American public as an incitive. This could be done as a percentage or a per car bonus given to people who buy American made cars. A bigger per car bonus or % would be given to the fuel efficient models and a lesser amount to be allowed on less fuel efficient or less enviornmentally friendly models. This would help the citizen, the auto makers and the banks who would be more willing to make loans for autos that have a larger down payment.
by Karlotta Sanchez
11/14/2008/ (01:11)
Good bye CNN, hello FOX
I am sick and tired of the FLASH, FLASH, FLASH on your screen! I am tired of the number of commercials time exceed the the info/news portion!
I am also tired of the important news text you put on the screen for two seconds but the text for commerciaals seem to be there for hours!
I have watched ONLY CNN for 5+ years, good bye CNN!
by R. GREENLAND
12/30/2008/ (02:12)
I apologize, but the overwhelming amount of comment spam forced me to turn comments off for "CNN.com"