Navigate presidential candidates' sites for a road map to the presidential campaigns

Sunday, January 11, 2004

By Adrian McCoy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The presidential campaign trail now has a ramp onto the Information Highway, and Web sites play a key role in selling candidates.

	Evaluating the sites: The Web judges weigh in Campaign watchers weigh in Comments by Web designers and political analysts are snapshots of the sites at a particular point in time. Many sites are revised frequently, so comments on a particular element of the site may no longer apply.

For the politician, it's an ideal way to present key positions, communicate with voters and involve people in supporting the campaign as volunteers or donors.

For the voter, it's a one-stop source for information and a less confusing way to research how he or she wants to vote.

That said, it remains a fairly new science, and the Web site as political tool is being used with varying degrees of effectiveness.

We asked several local Web designers to critique the official Web sites of the nine Democratic contenders in 2004 as well as incumbent Republican President George W. Bush. The members of our design pool -- Alexis Chontos of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, David Haseleu of the tech company CyBerJaz and John Mahood of Imagebox Productions -- were candid about what they liked and disliked and offered a few pointers on how the sites could be improved.

The designers used several criteria for what makes an effective Web site: How well are issues presented? What kind of image of the candidate is projected? How user-friendly and visually stimulating is the design? Is it entertaining?

Speed in downloading is perhaps the most important factor for a Web site. According to Zona Research, the average Web surfer will be long gone if a site doesn't load within eight seconds. For e-commerce, that short attention span can cost millions in lost sales.

For a would-be candidate, it could mean lost votes.

President George W. Bush

www.georgewbush.com

THE IMAGE: The candidate is presented as being removed from the site, having no direct connection. The newsy format may serve to present the candidate as a news item to be reported on, rather than as someone who is taking an interest in the information on his site, making Bush seem remote and unapproachable.

THE ISSUES: Issues are presented with tabs across the main body of the site. When the tab is selected, each issue is presented via linked articles as well as a summary of Bush's position, and a link to further information on that issue in depth. The user would have no problem learning more about the candidate's views on various issues.

USABILITY/DESIGN: The site comes off as being busy and cluttered. The eye doesn't know where to rest first. Three navigation formats are presented, and it can be difficult to know where to find desired information, though the site has good identity and cohesiveness.

ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR: A photo album is updated weekly. See George and Laura with their Christmas tree! See George in a cool cowboy hat! -- Alexis Chontos

Howard B. Dean

www.deanforamerica.com

THE IMAGE: Like georgewbush.com, Dean's site seems to be reporting on him rather than working with him, giving the candidate a remote, unapproachable air.

THE ISSUES: Policy positions are summarized on the issue page, and links are presented to a variety of support statements and other resources, making the site quite user-friendly.

USABILITY/DESIGN: The site lacks consistency. Content sometimes is centered and sometimes flush left, which adds to general confusion. Design inconsistencies tend to take the focus away from the candidate.

ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR: Inspired by the writing of Thomas Paine, Dean offers his 21st-century pamphlet "Common Sense for a New Century." -- Alexis Chontos

Rep. Richard A. Gephardt

www.dickgephardt2004.com

THE IMAGE: There's a decided down-home feel from Gephardt's site, with quotes from the candidate, informal photos with his wife, even a column by his daughter. The presentation makes Gephardt appear friendly and approachable.

THE ISSUES: Issues are presented through a series of cascading pages: You must open the first page to get to a second, which has a link to a third, etc. The user would have to do a bit more searching to learn more about Gephardt's views.

USABILITY/DESIGN: Content, although presented consistently in a clean, uncluttered manner, spreads over the whole page. This is generally frowned upon, because it makes it more difficult for the user to read easily across the entire page.

ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR: Pie recipes! -- Alexis Chontos

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman

www.joe2004.com

THE IMAGE: The home page has a heavy emphasis on family values, including a personal portrayal of the candidate (who is usually referred to as "Joe" throughout the site).

THE ISSUES: Visitors click on an issues link, with a choice of the candidate's record, his agenda or fact sheets. Clicking on the "Candidate's Record" link displayed a list of issues to choose from. Selecting an issue typically revealed a few brief sentences outlining Lieberman's views, followed by a mix of comments and highlights from his record.

USABILITY/DESIGN: Although the site is clean, it's somewhat plain and a bit awkward. The scrolling required to reach all of the content on the home page (and others) is excessive. Also, the way the site's content is arranged/displayed is less than ideal in some areas; quick scanning was not always possible. For example: "Fact Sheets" were listed by date as opposed to topic. Positive features include a Spanish-language option, links to encourage voter registration and solicitation of opinions from site visitors.

ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR: Create some MoJoe! -- Dave Haseleu

Sen. John F. Kerry

www.johnkerry.com

THE IMAGE: The Kerry site does a good job of presenting an overview of the candidate, though the site presents more of a detached, third-party view that is somewhat pervasive among the Web sites. Overall, the site is geared more toward enlisting support for the campaign than toward persuading undecideds to vote for Kerry.

THE ISSUES: Excerpts from Kerry's views and a categorical listing of issues are presented on the Issues page. Each issue (when clicked) provides several paragraphs of text followed by a list of priorities related to the issue. Videos of Kerry addressing issues in various forums also are included.

USABILITY/DESIGN: The site is easy to navigate and presents visitors with a number of links to specific content. The site also includes a nice search feature, but missing is a prominent 800 number (or other number). Good features include campaign blogs (online diaries), online forums for supporters, regional pages for each state, a Spanish-language option, online forums and resources for people who want to get involved.

ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR: Make your own Sen. John F. Kerry postcard! -- Dave Haseleu

The Rev. Al Sharpton

www.sharpton2004.org

THE IMAGE: The site provides little to no background information about Sharpton, and thus doesn't "sell" him very well. The site seems more geared to promoting an agenda or influencing a party platform.

THE ISSUES: The site includes a prominent link to issues (labeled "Platform"), though only a handful were presented. Most of the links seemed to be arguments in favor of supporting a particular position, as opposed to an outline of Sharpton's views.

USABILITY/DESIGN: A recent redesign is a significant improvement, but the site still lacks a search feature. Navigation is simple, although content seems light. Pros include toll-free phone numbers for contacting the campaign, plus a calendar and a link for contacting the candidate's scheduling department.

ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR: Sharpton's agenda is outlined by way of a Top 10 list. -- Dave Haseleu

Carol Moseley Braun

www.carolforpresident.com

THE IMAGE: Moseley Braun's public service record is highlighted, but there's little personal insight into the former Illinois senator who also served as ambassador to New Zealand. There isn't much to sway voters outside of a Newsweek poll and the personal endorsement of a union business manager. She is referred to as "Carol" throughout the site.

THE ISSUES: A button makes it easy to access a short list of issues, though discovering the candidate's specific stance can be a bit tedious.

USABILITY/DESIGN: Site features are plain, with little use of graphics, photos or other images. Many of the pages are text-intensive. Navigation is simple, but apart from a search feature, functionality is somewhat limited (there are no forums or online surveys). The strong points of the site are its voter registration links, prominent mention of endorsements and positive poll results

ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR: While in New Zealand, Moseley Braun was made an honorary member of the Te Atiawa Maori people. -- Dave Haseleu

Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich

www.kucinich.us

THE IMAGE: This site makes much of Kucinich's past as the youngest-ever mayor of a major city (Cleveland). Personal notes from the candidate to viewers on each page is a nice touch, although Kucinich is usually referred to in third person, introducing the feeling of remoteness that plagues most of these sites.

THE ISSUES: The "10 Key Issues" page is very effective, making it easy for viewers to discover Kucinich's stands on a variety of subjects.

USABILITY/DESIGN: Simple design and navigation tools make it easy to find things. Recent news articles are presented in a center column near the top of the page. The issues area is available in Spanish. A frequently-asked-questions -- or FAQ -- feature could be improved, but few of the other candidates offer one, so consider it a plus. The toll-free number is on every page of the site. Articles in the center column aren't dated, and there isn't a blog included. Overall, the design is maybe too simple to be considered professional.

ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR: Kucinich rocks with Willie Nelson! -- John Mahood

Sen. John Edwards

www.johnedwards2004.com

THE IMAGE: Visitors to this site get more of a star-struck report on Edwards than any kind of get-to-know-me insight. Still, a strong family-values vibe comes across, as well as the sense that he is a self-made success story. You learn that Edwards was the first person in his family to attend college.

THE ISSUES: Issues are listed across the tops of pages with links to the candidate's position, but a single page listing the issues and the candidate's stand would be far more effective.

USABILITY/DESIGN: The site design is mediocre, and the home page is too busy. Pluses include a Spanish-language option, a search feature and links to recent articles.

ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR: A "Corner Store" hawks Edwards-emblazoned T-shirts, pins and bumper stickers. -- John Mahood

Wesley K. Clark

www.clark04.com

THE IMAGE: The site presents a commanding image of the retired Army general, but the inevitable third-person report here is more matter-of-fact. It does, however, share relatively unembellished tales of wartime valor.

THE ISSUES: Issues pages are accessed in two places -- left-column navigation and in a center-column feature box -- both of which appear "below the fold," where many users will have to scroll to see them. A single issues-at-a-glance page might be a better approach so that casual readers could skim the candidate's overall stand on pertinent issues.

USABILITY/DESIGN: The site boasts a clean design and professional look. Good features include a "Take Action Now" button, which is easy to see and takes you to a list of ways to get involved with the campaign. The site makes good use of the Internet community and tools, with links to MeetUp.com, a blog, e-mail updates and a forum. The site lacks a Spanish-language option and search function.

ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR: Not content with a mere presidential four-year take on the future of the United States, Clark offers his "100-Year Vision" of the way our country will evolve. Now, that's ambitious. -- John Mahood

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