When viewed for the first time, it doesn't seem like a website designed for fandoms. The home page has a very professional design with a clean white background, red and black lettering, and some classic red lines. The only image on the site is the Archive logo in the top left corner, which also serves as a link to the homepage. In the upper left hand side of the page, there are several tabs through which a user can find specific fan works by using drop bars. On the home page there is also a Twitter feed that is in real time. The Twitter feed displays tweets that either tag the Archive in them or tweets that are tweeted from the Archive’s page or other pages similar to that of the Archive. There is a section and link for news and updates concerning the Archive. Because the buttons and tabs are labeled and positioned appropriately, the website is very easy to navigate, even for a first-time user.
The font of the website is something close to Calibri with no extra flourishes on the letters. The background is white with black writing. This is a good font choice for a website as fonts with little extra serifs are sometimes hard to read on screens that are back lit. Some users may find it difficult to see the words because of the font size. Therefore, some may enjoy the experience of using the Archive more if they had the option to change the font size of the works that they may wish to read.
The colors of the site also suit it very well. The majority of the page is white, which gives it a more modern “feel” so to speak. The red lines on the top and bottom of the page add some excitement to the site as whole. The coloring lacks creativity, but it is still effective in keeping a users attention without being too loud.
The website design is also very neat. At fist sight, it doesn’t appear to be a mediocrely designed webpage. There are drop bars on the top which allow you to link to the different categories like TV shows or books. In these links there is every single work of writing for every single book, TV show, and other forms of media that the Archive holds. From there you can choose what you want to see and/or read. Once you have chosen a category you can then use the tabs on the middle right of the page to specify what types of work you want to find. These tabs allow you to select the language the reader wishes to use. There are works in nearly every language that one could possibly think of. You can also type specific tags in the space provided in the top right hand corner of the page. It is definitely a website that would be interesting to a lot of people, but only people who are into fan fiction would be regular users of Archive of Our Own.
Someone who is not part of a fandom or familiar with fandoms in general will probably be able to find some enjoyment in exploring the website to some extent. For example, it is difficult to deny that the Archive is very organized. Once a user figures out what exactly the Archive has to offer, that user will be able to navigate the site with ease.
For a user who happens to be an avid reader, the numerous different written works will most likely make their heart sing. The Archive can be compared to an online library. It is a large collection of writing on its own, with “13556 fandoms, 231514 registered users, and 897217 works.”(Archive of Our Own) It is very difficult to deny that most of the written works are actually of decent quality. In fact, some people may claim that some of these works have the potential to get published, but unfortunately other authors’ characters are the main characters in their stories, which would prevent these works from getting published. For a user who happens to love writing, the Archive may be a great place to test out their writing skills.
While written works probably attract most of the Archive’s users, users are also able to publish and view fan art, fan videos, and podfics. Despite the fact that fan art doesn’t quite have the popularity that the written works have, it is still another creative outlet for those who enjoy expressing their creativity in this manner. Some users use their computer programs to create their pieces while others draw by hand. Some users also enjoy viewing and creating fan videos, which are very similar to the ones that are found on YouTube. Still, some users also post podfics, which are basically like audio books. Like the written works, some of the pieces are professional and others are the work of not so accomplished artists. But the point of the Archive is not to only house good works; it was created so that all people could contribute to the world users find themselves in.
The font of the website is something close to Calibri with no extra flourishes on the letters. The background is white with black writing. This is a good font choice for a website as fonts with little extra serifs are sometimes hard to read on screens that are back lit. Some users may find it difficult to see the words because of the font size. Therefore, some may enjoy the experience of using the Archive more if they had the option to change the font size of the works that they may wish to read.
The colors of the site also suit it very well. The majority of the page is white, which gives it a more modern “feel” so to speak. The red lines on the top and bottom of the page add some excitement to the site as whole. The coloring lacks creativity, but it is still effective in keeping a users attention without being too loud.
Someone who is not part of a fandom or familiar with fandoms in general will probably be able to find some enjoyment in exploring the website to some extent. For example, it is difficult to deny that the Archive is very organized. Once a user figures out what exactly the Archive has to offer, that user will be able to navigate the site with ease.
For a user who happens to be an avid reader, the numerous different written works will most likely make their heart sing. The Archive can be compared to an online library. It is a large collection of writing on its own, with “13556 fandoms, 231514 registered users, and 897217 works.”(Archive of Our Own) It is very difficult to deny that most of the written works are actually of decent quality. In fact, some people may claim that some of these works have the potential to get published, but unfortunately other authors’ characters are the main characters in their stories, which would prevent these works from getting published. For a user who happens to love writing, the Archive may be a great place to test out their writing skills.
While written works probably attract most of the Archive’s users, users are also able to publish and view fan art, fan videos, and podfics. Despite the fact that fan art doesn’t quite have the popularity that the written works have, it is still another creative outlet for those who enjoy expressing their creativity in this manner. Some users use their computer programs to create their pieces while others draw by hand. Some users also enjoy viewing and creating fan videos, which are very similar to the ones that are found on YouTube. Still, some users also post podfics, which are basically like audio books. Like the written works, some of the pieces are professional and others are the work of not so accomplished artists. But the point of the Archive is not to only house good works; it was created so that all people could contribute to the world users find themselves in.
Even if a user weren't familiar with the "fandom world" so to speak, they would still be able to understand the website after analyzing it for a couple minutes. In fact, some may even find themselves enjoying it even though they lack knowledge of fandoms. The fans that run and created the site obviously hoped that every type of user, regular or not, would enjoy their experience using the Archive. Unfortunately, very few people that may run into this site will probably become regular users. However, this may not be because of a poor experience using the website. In fact, a lot of users will probably have a fantastic user experience, but because not a lot of people even know what a fandom is, let alone being part of one, many users may feel a little uncomfortable using the site because of their lack of knowledge regarding this topic. However, there is very little the creators and moderators of the site can do to prevent certain users from feeling this way.
For users who are very knowledgeable regarding fandoms, or maybe even part of one, Fanfiction.com is yet another website that they may know about. On this site, however, users can only post writing and not art or videos. This particular website is also more geared to 13-17 year old readers and authors as the stories are not as well written or as suggestive as the ones in the Archive. There are also more written works on this site than Archive of Our Own. The thing that Fanfiction does that the Archive does not is allowing the readers to choose the font that most suits them, as well as the size of the words, and the color of the background. These features don’t contribute to the content of the work however, merely to the experience as a whole.
Unfortunately, Archive of Our Own isn’t a perfect website. For example, most of the written fan-work is geared towards older audiences, which may not necessarily be an issue for the Archive’s older users, but will most likely become an issue for its pre-teen/ early teenage users. Some users also may not like that they only sort the different categories by alphabetical order, as they may rather have them sorted by popularity and the amount of works in each category. Most users will probably think that it was strange that you have to get invited in order to post any works on the Archive. Fortunately, an invite isn’t necessary in order to view the works. I-Phone users may also have some minor issues if they frequently access the Archive through that device. The Archive’s webpage really doesn’t have any other major drawbacks other than these few and even then, they probably won’t impact the user’s experience to a large degree.
Someone that isn't interested in fandoms wouldn't see much value in Archive of Our Own, though this doesn’t mean that you won’t have a good experience using the website if fandoms aren’t your thing. Unfortunately, unless you enjoy (and have the time for) reading, writing, or creating art, you may not see much value in spending a significant amount of time on this site. However, for someone who has a lot of spare time on their hands, this website will surely entertain them for at least a little while. Regardless as to what kind of person you are, it is definitely worth visiting the site at least once.
For users who are very knowledgeable regarding fandoms, or maybe even part of one, Fanfiction.com is yet another website that they may know about. On this site, however, users can only post writing and not art or videos. This particular website is also more geared to 13-17 year old readers and authors as the stories are not as well written or as suggestive as the ones in the Archive. There are also more written works on this site than Archive of Our Own. The thing that Fanfiction does that the Archive does not is allowing the readers to choose the font that most suits them, as well as the size of the words, and the color of the background. These features don’t contribute to the content of the work however, merely to the experience as a whole.
Unfortunately, Archive of Our Own isn’t a perfect website. For example, most of the written fan-work is geared towards older audiences, which may not necessarily be an issue for the Archive’s older users, but will most likely become an issue for its pre-teen/ early teenage users. Some users also may not like that they only sort the different categories by alphabetical order, as they may rather have them sorted by popularity and the amount of works in each category. Most users will probably think that it was strange that you have to get invited in order to post any works on the Archive. Fortunately, an invite isn’t necessary in order to view the works. I-Phone users may also have some minor issues if they frequently access the Archive through that device. The Archive’s webpage really doesn’t have any other major drawbacks other than these few and even then, they probably won’t impact the user’s experience to a large degree.
Someone that isn't interested in fandoms wouldn't see much value in Archive of Our Own, though this doesn’t mean that you won’t have a good experience using the website if fandoms aren’t your thing. Unfortunately, unless you enjoy (and have the time for) reading, writing, or creating art, you may not see much value in spending a significant amount of time on this site. However, for someone who has a lot of spare time on their hands, this website will surely entertain them for at least a little while. Regardless as to what kind of person you are, it is definitely worth visiting the site at least once.
Carpesomediem. "What Is Fandom?" HubPages. HubPages, 15 July 2009. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. <http://carpesomediem.hubpages.com/hub/What-is-Fandom>.
"Archive of Our Own Beta." Home | Archive of Our Own. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
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