Website: Codes and Conventions

We can deal with codes and conventions of a webpage in a number of different ways, and I will be looking for these prompts on the Arctic Monkeys website as it is the most similar to my own:

Layout and Design
The website is very clear and easy to use as it is very basic and logical. It is easy to navigate as there is not too much information on the home page just a picture and links to other pages on the sight such as pictures and shop. The grid system is used to separate sections of the website and presents the information in small, easy to access segments. Unlike typical conventions the centre of the page has a large picture of the band, and the basic navigation tools are across the top of this picture. Background and font colours are used to separate different types of information, and the big image in the middle of the page adds visual interest.

The technical codes used
Certain technical codes are now common place on websites. Many sites provide moving image or audio content such as a music player with tracks to listen to. There is no music player or moving image on this home page, and there is also no form of audience activity or interaction which makes the site look old fashioned.

Content of the website
There are distinct conventions for websites which contain factual information, compared to those created for entertainment. This websites purpose is to inform and entertain an already devout audience, therefore it will look considerably different than a news website for example. This website has hardly any information on, just links to other parts of the site and a picture of the band, compared to a sky news website which would be full of information and look cluttered.

Genre codes
In addition to the content leading layout and design choices, where websites are based on existing genres (eg. Broadsheets, Horror films, Lifestyle magazines), the web design uses recognisable codes and conventions from the genres to ensure audiences recognise the genre and are framed to have appropraite expectations. In terms of this website the layout is of an extremely basic webpage, with a large picture and links to other parts of the site. The genre of music is indie, and other bands of the same genre share content like this site.
The way codes are used to target the audience and attempt to address them appropraitely
Different audiences may find certain layout and design chocices more appealing. An audience who is a fan of Arctic Monkeys would probably not want a lot of information cluttered on the home page like a news site, therefore whoever made the page chose to not have too much information to confuse the viewer. Media language is also used to clearly identify target audiences, but in this case there is hardly any text, so appeals to all audiences. A key issue with websites is the way they attempt to encourage audience activity and interactivity to attract audiences in and persuade them to return or pass on information important to the website producers. However in this case there is no promotion or audience activity, therefore they have not done all they could to promote the band, however as most people already know them this is not too bad.