More Interactive Narratives

Ashes and Snow
This site was one that I really enjoyed. The design of the whole site was very appealing to the eye. The photographs included on the site were originally black and white, but they were transformed to match the colors of the site, enhancing the graphic design. Also, the first page allows the user to access a basic site or a flash site, and I thought this was a very convenient option for all computer users. The site does not have so much text that it overwhelms the photographs. There are a lot of options throughout the site, and it was unmistakably navigable; I could travel to different sections with ease. Furthermore, I like that this particular site offers a film, among the other types of multimedia. The loading times were fairly fast, with interesting quotes to enjoy while the user waits. The audio was pleasing and was not a distraction as it can often be.

Homeless in Montana
I didn't want to have to choose an article with a subject that is good, but I just wasn't able to "get personal" with the people in this multimedia presentation. First of all, the color scheme was off; that is, all of the photographs were in black and white, and the colors used were gray, black, white, and red. I found that it was not very informative listening to the audio in the profiles. I felt like the real meat of the story was taken out and that this presentation was merely created for pity rather than an honest change for the homeless involved. The audios were very short, and I felt like video would have been much better for the user to get involved and care about these people more. Just reading and hearing about the hardships these people face is not enough for me--I need something much more visual. The only real plus I saw with this site is the "By the numbers" section, where the user can find graphs with information about the homeless in four Montana cities.