I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a Web site I’ve been enjoying for the last few months. Nick DeNardis recently celebrated the one year anniversary of his video blog series “eduCheckup.” A few times a week, Nick visits a site that’s either been suggested by his users or that he’s found on eduStyle, and then reviews that site with a unique outside perspective. He evaluates the visual appeal, the quality and accessibility of information and the quality of the source code. He then averages the scores he’s given in each category and provides a letter grade (like you’d get in school) for the overall presentation.
In addition to grading the site, he offers small tips throughout his videos explaining how the site could be improved and then offers a “tip of the day” to help other Web designers and developers in the future. Sometimes his “tip of the day” is a kudos to something the site has done well and other times his tip is a reaction to something that’s been done poorly.
Although the eduCheckup series focuses on higher education Web sites, there are valuable lessons to be learned for all Web developers and designers. I hope you will take the time to visit eduCheckup and check out some of the archive episodes. I think you’ll find something really special. At the very least, you should enjoy the fast-talking, energetic host.