The website that I am reviewing is www.hitmenhockey.com. I am not a hockey fan but will occasionally watch a hockey game once and a while. Since the NHL Finals are on I might watch a little more than I normally would. I am actually happy that I was given this website because it allowed me to see and compare a hockey website to a MLB or NFL website. I also know barely anything about the minor league hockey system so this website was able to open my eyes to that league too.
From the second the site opens, you are made well aware who's site it is! There is a huge Calgary Hitmen logo along with their name in big bold letters near the top. Also on the front page is a rotating news clicker that fills up about half the screen. The images are very bright, clear, and each one has a summary sentence and also a bright red tab that says "read more."
The front page alone is much more interactive than many other sites I have seen. There are tabs for Facebook, and Twitter near the top of the page next to the other tabs. There is also a stay connected section on the right of the front page showing recent Facebook and Twitter comments and posts. There seems to be a lot going on with the front page of the website but with the background being darker and the tabs being white and large, it is very easy to see where tabs are and what they link to.
Each main tab has a drop down affect breaking that tab into additional tabs. The tabs are clearly marked allowing easy navigation and accessibility. The first tab is the "Newsroom" tab, and in its drop down tabs are Hitmen Facebook, Hitmen Twitter, Hitmen Instagram, and also Hitmen News. I think having these tabs first shows how important social media is to the website designers and to their fans. From fan zones and schedules, to what they stand for and their involvement in the community, the main tab board and front page to the website are very accessible, easy to navigate, and seems to be highly interactive, just like hockey!
To add to the interactive availability the website also has many videos which are of high quality. Right on the front page they have videos of this last years top ten hits, top ten goals, top ten everything. Also the website has a tab for its own Hitmen TV, more videos, and also live webcasts. The interactive element goes on and on especially in the fan zone tab.
Overall I think this website has done an amazing job of being colorful, bright, and busy while not having the ability to overwhelm someone. There is social and interactive media on every page and with a high quality effect. The pages, and pictures seem very clear and crisp, and the videos load quickly and are also clear. Even though I previously didn't know a lot about hockey, I was able to learn a lot about the Calgary Hitmen in an organized and fast manner by viewing the website www.hitmenhockey.com.
I went to a lot of Spokane Chiefs WHL games when I was growing up and still check in to see how they are doing sometimes. The Chiefs have a very similar website design. It looks like all WHL teams have similar designs. In fact, if you back up even further, it looks like all CHL team pages have the same design. I personally like the uniformity between teams’ websites within a league. It keeps the brand of the league consistent. It seems like this practice is standard in leagues because we have already talked about how the NBA is doing this and the MiLB too.
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