Main Task

Select and undertake an in-depth evaluation of the following website:

Website: http://www.gumtree.com.au/

Upon the completion of the task, you are to provide a formal report documenting your critical evaluation of the website. The review is to be carried out within the context of responsive web design (RWD) and development principles. The report should draw particular attention to the interactive aspects and design aspects relating to responsiveness of the overall website. Support your critique with appropriate RWD principles.

What to Review

The purpose of the report is to provide a critical evaluation of the nominated website and to support your observations and comments convincingly. The nominated website should be reviewed using Google Chrome's device simulator. For the purpose and intention of this assessment, use only the device simulator for your reviews. This is to ensure that all students have access to consistent and identical review tools.

Your review of the nominated website must be thorough and sufficiently comprehensive to include 5 different screen displays. The recommended settings are as follows. Students are free to select the different simulated device (in the Chrome device simulator) they would like to use for the reviews.

(1) Large Display

Generic notebook or desktop with display greater than 1280x768 pixels.

(2) Medium Display

Any mobile device with display approximately 480x640 to 700x960 pixels, in both landscape and portrait orientation.

(3) Tiny display

Any mobile device with display approximately 200x320 to 400x640 pixels, in both landscape and portrait orientation.

What to Include

Your report should include:

(1) Clearly identify the nominated website. Provide an overview and description of the nominated website.

(2) Identify and elaborate the main feature or features of the website.

(3) Identify the positive and negative aspects of the website. Draw particular attention to the interaction and usability aspects of the interface.

(4) Invite two other persons to review the nominated website. All reviewers should use identical device settings. These participants can be your friends, family members or classmates etc. Provide the background (i.e. age, gender, profession) of the participants. Do their views differ from yours'? State why or why not.

(5) Based upon your critique and observation in items (1) to (4) of the above, provide a recommendation on how the website should be improved. Conversely, if it does not require further improvement, then provide the reason why that this is the case.

(6) Except for item (4) of the above, all assertions relating to RWD design principles (e.g. statements like ‘blue text on red background is a poor colour combination' ) must be supported by references or critical observation. You can cite additional scholarly references other than the textbook. (Note: Do not use Wikipedia as a source of reference).

(7) Comment on the tools (i.e. Chrome device simulator) you used for the review. Elaborate on the advantages and disadvantages of such a tool. Search and briefly comment on similar tools available for testing and reviewing RWD web pages.

(8) Figures or diagrams can be added as needed.