Pattern 11: Classify your site **
AKA: SITE GENRES

You have ESTABLISHed THE USE CASES (3), which will tell you a lot about how users will interact with the site. You have also built an object model that will tell you about the site’s content. Now you have to design it.

Not all the patterns in this pattern language are appropriate for all sites and situations. How does one select suitable patterns? Equally, not all layout styles work for all kinds of sites. How can one draw attention to this and standardize on an approach?

Therefore

Before making major design decisions first classify the site. Look at other sites of the same type and note what they have in common and how they differ from sites classified differently.

Use your HOME PAGE (28) to tell users what kind of site they have arrived at and what’s expected of them. Construct a SITE MAP (12) as part of your early design. If there is a workflow or form-filling aspect to the site, make sure that you avoid PARANOID SECURITY (74).

Contributors and sources
Richard Dué, Gareth Sylvester-Bradley, van Duyne et al. (2002)

The table above shows a basic classification scheme for web sites.

Workflow sites are distinguishable from exploration sites. They are clearly dynamic and stative. Occasionally, apparently stateless sites (like news sites) take the user into a stative mode. For example, one used to be able to view and download recent crosswords from www.thetimes.com. But The Times started a crossword club in June 2001, which meant that one could only get access by filling in a form to set up a password.

Different kinds of site require different navigation schemes, different graphic design and different use of language. Sites intended for children need to allow for their abilities and preferences. News sites usually adopt magazine style layouts and this seems to work. Artistic sites can get away with flashier designs and even the slightly slower download times that result than news or e-commerce sites.

Van Duyne et al. (2002) offer a group of patterns, which they call site genres, each concerned with one of the following kinds of site and emphasizing the different forces at work.

• Arts & entertainment: these must stimulate the eye and mind, encourage exploration and take the visitor beyond normality; he may therefore tolerate slower performance.
• Community clusters: these provide a means for people to meet and chat, but there is a cost associated with managing the contributions; people don’t like censorship either.
• Company sites: these vary greatly; is the site to be used for product information, branding, sales, or what?
• Educational fora: these may offer on-line courses or learning and research tools and resources.
• Enabling intranets: these can help staff to communicate or enforce/enable workflow; the site may be an educational forum too.
• Government sites: these provide information on policy and legislation and may enable users to submit data such as tax returns.
• Grassroots information: these sites cover everything from individuals wacky hobbies to national liberation movements.
• News sites: these provide some stories up front and allow users to search for others. They are usually designed to look like magazines or newspapers.
• Non-profit help networks: here the different types of user are the obvious challenge: staff, sufferers, volunteers, donors, etc.
• Personal e-commerce: these are the standard B2C sites
• Web services and applications.

One might wish to add B2B to the list, but it appears fairly comprehensive otherwise. Note that there is a lot of overlap. However, making this kind of preliminary classification will help you think about the design. The more general classification given above can then be used in a more informed way.

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