Michael Boren: Hierarchy

The LA Times Web site has very clear hierarchy and is very easy to read. The layout of the main story with its colored picture on the left side of the page is the first thing that catches my eye's attention. This large picture also stands out from the black font on most of the page. That's exactly what the Web site's creators are probably going for. By starting out at the photo on the left side, my eyes easily navigate to the right side of the photo, where two other big stories align. Then my eyes navigate down to the stories from earlier in the day that are in smaller font. This eye navigation takes the reader through the top stories to the earlier, smaller ones, which is what a news Web site intends to do. The amount of white space on the page also makes it quite readable and easy on the eyes. At the top, all the LA Times's sections (such as news, sports, weather, etc) are neatly organized into a straight line with a black background. This stands out from the rest of the page, and by collecting all the sections, the Web site allows me to easily navigate from one area to the other in a quick amount of time. And as all news Web sites go, layouts have to be quick and easy for the viewer to read in this fast-paced news cycle.