Waterlife

Waterlife is a flash based site that talks about the "Waterlife" film. Co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada and Primitive Entertainment Inc, this film talks about the history path of the Great Lakes from Lake Superior in the north to the Atlantic Ocean. The film shows how the Great Lakes affect people, animals and the environment. It also talks about how they have been changed over the years and what needs to be fixed in order for the Lakes to stay thriving.


When you think of public awareness about the environment, most people think of one-dimensional page spreads, charts, facts, etc. This site couldn't be further from that. The very intro tells us that we are about to experience a cutting edge site, with it's fast-moving pictures that make you feel inside a room with the swirling pieces. The very modern/minimalist look with the black/gray background makes it feel almost like a futuristic setting.


The first noticeable thing on the homepage is the shape that the images form. At first you think, "How am I supposed to figure out where to go from here?" But upon further inspection of all the little details, this site has been laid out very clean and very organized. The top left header says, "WATER IS >" so naturally you mouse over to see what water is. This is where the navigation bar collapses in and the user sees that every aspect has been laid out and organized, from the history of the Great Lakes to how it is inside of us. When you mouse over each section the corresponding image pops up to reveal a link to that section.


When you click on a link you'll notice that the images shift into a shape pertaining to whatever topic you are investigating. This helps grab out attention even more and feel one with the site. You'll also notice along the bottom that the links are dedicated to the same sections and take the shape of waves of water when moused over. This creates a calming and relaxing environment. The view then changes into a large fact regarding whatever section you picked.




The actual article about your chosen topic is laid out in a very engaging blurb that is fixed upon a film strip of whatever setting/topic you are reading about. This looks just like a magazine article but more exciting and interactive. They've also created links to their sources (from credible sites). I couldn't help but admire how organized and well laid out the articles were and how informative they are. I felt like this was National Geographic 2.0, online.


There are many other sections and articles to look at, including many chart and fact pages. They've taken the boring informational sections and made them look more home-made, more engaging, etc. This entire site looks like a well executed science project about the Great Lakes and how much of an impact they are. Most people don't like doing research about topics involving "boring nature" but this site doesn't give you that feeling for a second.



This entire site gives me the feeling of empowerment, like every resource I need is right here at my fingertips. The film definitely has much to offer and this site lays it out perfectly in front of us. They have take care of the bulky navigation bar, laid out information in multiple yet intriguing article pages with the sources right in text. Even the factoid's about the company are tucked away nice and neat, with an elegant overlay on the article, as to not direct your attention too far from the content. In my opinion this site offers solutions for everything a web page lacks in when it comes to organization and content. There are many parts that can also be used in developing a site of your own, a portfolio, an album of your family history, or anything you can think of. Overall, a well executed flash site.