Site design, interface, ways of providing information, and communication with users are essential aspects of creating a successful web project. The Waiting Room is a storytelling platform that draws people’s attention to current social issues through individual examples of people. It is extremely easy to use, as the site interface and its design are minimalistic, and nothing distracts the user from the necessary information. It is also fun to use, as it is interesting to look at the stories of living people, photos, and videos. Since this is a social project, it is difficult to talk about the degree of its success.
The site’s central message is to draw attention to acute social problems, particularly within the healthcare setting. The content of the site includes primarily stories of people illustrating problems and associated emotions. The platform also provides an opportunity to share experiences and materials which are used to collect data and promote Safety Net initiatives. The project description emphasizes that this is “a location-based social media and community engagement initiative that aims to improve the patient experience through the collection and sharing of digital content” (“About the Storytelling Project,” n. d.). Thus, the design reflects the site’s primary purpose and message, which is to tell the individual stories of people’s needs regarding healthcare and existing social issues. The site’s target audience is the general public, which often does not face the problems described. Thus, the project seeks to broadly highlight the social issues of many people who are in less fortunate situations to improve the overall quality of life.
The site interface is extremely simple, especially on the home page. Navigation is made through the sections which provide relevant information. The site’s design is laconic and restrained, using a white background and mostly red and black colors. This choice aligns well with the project’s symbol, which is the wall clock. The function of innovation is to provide limited information on the home page and emphasize the emotional component. The user can immediately understand that the project is addressing social problems by looking at the provided photos. The main advantage which makes the site so cool is precisely the emphasis on the main goal, which is to highlight existing problems. The entire project is built around people’s stories, through which important aspects are highlighted.
Reference
About the storytelling project. (n. d.). The Waiting Room. Web.