Applying Writing Guidelines to Web Pages
Rhetorical Analysis of Goodwill Page
As one of many student organizations on campus at Grand Valley State University, the Cancer Awareness Resistance and Education organization (CARE) has created a website for the purposes of both informing its members of events happening within the organization, as well as informing other students and community members of what the organization is about and how they can get involved if they so desire. Meeting times, members with leadership position and their appropriate contact information, and resources to help people find out more about the ongoing struggle to cure cancer and support the cause thereof are all available on the website.
For Whom?
The target audience for this website will in all likelihood by students and friends of students of Grand Valley State University. Thus, it can be assumed that an overwhelming majority of visitors to the site will be experienced web users and have a solid computer background. As cancer is a global struggle, gender lines certainly will not be applicable and thus the site should appeal to all. As for any age appeal, as previously mentioned, most users will be between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. So, an appeal to a younger audience should be considered when designing this page. Thus, in designing the page, one needs to take into the factor the short attention span of college kids and use language that is concise and to the point. Also, like all people, college students desire in easily navigable site. This will also be a very important new aspect in the site.
What are the Site's Objectives?
The site’s main objectives are twofold. First of all, the site is to inform its members of the happenings within the organization. Secondly, the site serves as a source of recruitment and community information as to what the organization is actually all about. This organization is particular does not have any kind of push for outside funding that does not come from GVSU and thus is not trying to have a fundraising message. As a student organization, the goals are simple, and thus the site should reflect the simplicity that the organization wishes to maintain.
What Can be Done on this Site?
There are only a few things that the organization wishes to publish on the website: Its members, when they meet, what they do, where you can go to learn more about cancer, and general information about services performed and events attended. A simple navigation bar at the top of the site will allow the user to access any of this information from any page at any time. Having one click access to any part of the site should allow for easy and attentive navigation by the typical user.