Mark Story of the Intersection of Online and Offline interviews our very own Gary Bivings about what we look for in potential employees.

Turns out I was wrong.  It turns out that despite all that they have to accomplish, lots and lots of universities have produced websites that are both beautiful, and immensely usable. 

Following is a list of the 11 best best designed websites from the U.S. News World Reports list, as judged by me with input from some of my co-workers here at The Bivings Group.  Please note that I only looked at the top 100 on the list – I’m sure there are websites from schools outside the top 100 that are equally impressive.

Take a look, and let me know what you think in your comments.

(11) Virginia Tech

I like the look and feel here a lot, as well as the use of photography.  It isn’t higher on the list because it is just a little too busy for my tastes.

(10) University of Denver

Great use of photography, and the site does a  good job of routing visitors to where they need to go based on their user profile. 

(9) Duke University

The Duke site is clean and classy, but is just a tad bland for my tastes.  Others had this one higher.

(8) Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Points to MIT for coming up with a design that is completely unique, and for a really clear and usable navigation structure.  I like this one better than others here.

(7) Wake Forest University

Another elegant design.  I particularly like the way they’ve judiciously used the potentially overwhelming school colors (black and gold) to evoke the school, without sacrificing aesthetics or usability (hello Brown University). 

(6) Boston University

Just a confident and classic design.  Love it.

(5) University of Chicago

The details throughout this site are outstanding. 

(4) Rutgers University

The homepage Flash element is really well done, and if you surf a bit you’ll see a real attention to the details throughout.  Great site.

(3) University of Rochester

This is similar in structure/approach to the University of Denver, except the execution of the homepage here is a bit better.  Interior of the site isn’t as strong as the homepage.

(2) University of Nebraska

This is the most “Web 2.0” looking of the sites, which isn’t a bad thing given the level of execution.  Also has shades of the Obama site in the use of background imagery and icons.

(1) John Hopkins University

The job of a designer is infinitely easier when they have great photography to work.  Johns Hopkins has great photos, and does a wonderful job of using them to brand the school.  Entire site is excellent.

I really like this stuff, as being in the web development business myself I learn a lot by reading about how other firms approach things like user research, card sorting, wire frames and defining information architecture.   I also think the transparency of sharing updates on progress is refreshing and healthy.

However, I think things went off the rails a bit when Georgetown started posting the actual comps showing what the new site will look like.  Naturally, after posting the draft designs lots of people weighed in.  And while it seemed like the majority of people preferred one of the options called Clarity (pictured below), the comments were sort of all over the place.  As a result of the disjointed feedback, Georgetown produced a new design in an attempt to respond to some of the criticism that the designs weren’t cutting edge enough.  And this has lead to more opinions.

After reading through the comments, it struck me that asking users for design feedback was probably a mistake, for a few reasons.

• People don’t understand the complexity of the overall site.  There is a reason Georgetown hasn’t changed its site since 2002 – doing so is a massive undertaking.  University sites have to appeal to a number of very diverse audiences (prospective students, students, alumni, faculty, parents, etc.) and have to have sections that adequately represent the university’s various departments and schools.  The information architecture is extremely complicated, and it is nearly impossible for someone not involved in the process to know whether the designs achieve the goals laid out in the discovery process.
• Since most people can’t comment on the site in a substantive way, they focus exclusively on look and feel (colors and typography).  And look and feel is completely subjective.  I personally am a minimalist when it comes to web design, and prefer sites that have a primarily white palette, and which use colors and images judiciously.  That style is not everyone’s cup of tea.  If you ask ten people to comment on a websites look and feel, you’ll probably get ten different opinions.
• People hate change.  While this may not be true of the Georgetown website specifically given its age, every time you redesign a site that is popular and successful there is a backlash.  On the web, design is usability and anytime you disrupt users they will complain, and then forget about it in a few weeks after they adjust.  This concept is demonstrated by every single change every made to sites like Digg and Facebook.

Ultimately, the process of designing a website should not be a democracy.  It is important to understand your users and how they interact with the site, but I’m not sure it is important to hear their opinions on typography and colors.  Some decisions need to be made by a small group of folks behind closed doors.

In all probability, Georgetown is taking all the comments it is getting on the designs with a large grain of salt, and treating the reactions they receive as anecdotes.  And maybe there is some value in that.  However, I suspect posting the actual site designs for public review hasn’t accomplished much at all, beyond perhaps raising the blood pressure of the design team.

JESS3 / The State of The Internet from Jesse Thomas on Vimeo.

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Charity: Water is a great organization, and as an online communicator I’m constantly impressed with the innovative ways they have built a movement in support of clean drinking water for everyone.

In particular, non-profits and charities should pay close attention to their web videos, which are the gold standard in my opinion.  After you watch the video above, it is hard not to be left with an overwhelming desire to walk through a wall for Charity:Water.  Lots of people make great videos, but what makes this one so special is that it almost compels you to take action.

Recently, Chat Roulette has hit the big time, with usage skyrocketing and mainstream media outlets like the Washington Post devoting ink to the site, which launched in November.  I’ve used Chat Roulette a few times now myself, mostly as an experiment, and like everyone else I’m equal parts fascinated and horrified.  While Chat Roulette supposedly bans pornography, you will undoubtedly come across some nudity if you use the site long enough.  You’ll also run into some fringe societal elements, and have great conversations with some interesting people you would never come across otherwise.

The power here is in the randomness of it, and in the connections you can make.  Every time you switch to a new chat partner it is like opening a present.  It may be a horrible present, but it’s still fun to open and see what is there.  In a world where sites like Facebook and LinkedIn force us to build networks and define our relationships, there is a real power in a site like Chat Roulette that allows you to experience life outside your sphere.

I also think it is inevitable that the chat roulette concept will be appropriated.  Why not start a Chat Roulette that connects people around common interests instead of being entirely random?  Maybe cat lovers?   Why not build functionality into your website that allows visitors to enter into random chats with other people visiting the same site at the same time?  There seem to be lots of possibilities to me, and it seems like the concept, if not the Chat Roulette site itself, could be one of the Internet’s next big things.

I could be wrong.  Chat Roulette could be a one hit wonder that fades away after the novelty wears off.  But to me it looks like the creators have happened on a very powerful and useful way for people to connect with each other, which is ultimately what the Internet is all about.