Hello everyone!
I found this page on the internet about the main characteristics of English Gothic architecture;
although the text is full of great points, beautiful photos and many interesting facts, it is let down
by the length and lack of help in the navigation. I think that to improve this page and make it more
readable, we need to first change the introduction and then add 7 bullet points (one for each of
the characteristics the author describes) with a hyperlink that would take us directly to the section
(there are some characteristics we may not be interested in, and as the page stand now, we need
to scroll down for quite a while to skip the sections we do not wish to read).
As regards the Introduction, I would definitely change the text itself, to make the first lines more
informative, so the reader knows what to expect from the very beginning. I would also group
sentences differently and would avoid having paragraphs that are shorter than 4 lines and would
avoid some of the personal comments that the author makes. The introduction would, then, look
something like this:
The Seven Key Characteristics of Gothic Architecture
Gothic architecture, a style that developed because of common architectural
problems in Medieval times, transformed castles, churches, cathedrals and pretty
much the whole of Europe through the use of 7 basic techniques and elements that
created light, pleasant and airy buildings in an attempt at leaving the dark, cold, damp
and rudimentary stone castles of the 1100s-1200s, behind.
1. Grand, Tall Designs, Which Swept Upwards With Height and Grandeur
2. The Flying Buttress
3. The Pointed Arch
4. The Vaulted Ceiling
5. The Light and Airy Interior
6. The Gargoyles of Gothic Architecture
7. The Emphasis Upon the Decorative Style and the Ornate
Before the gothic, architecture was functional: now, architecture became beautiful.
Older buildings were now rebuilt following this new Gothic style and new
constructions appeared, tall magnificent buildings rendered into awe-inspiring places
of piety and worship, as a result of this phenomenal gothic design, based on these
seven elements.
1. Grand, Tall Designs, Which Swept Upwards With Height and Grandeur
In the times before gothic architecture, Early Medieval architects struggled to
spread the weight of heavy stone walls…..
2. The Flying Buttress
The flying buttress is the defining external characteristic of gothic architecture...
3. The Pointed Arch
The innovation of the pointed arch which was the defining internal characteristic
of gothic architecture. Its significance was both practical and decorative….
4. The Vaulted Ceiling
The vaulted ceiling was an innovation which lead on from the achievements of the
pointed arch….
5. The Light and Airy Interior
Before gothic architecture, castles and early Medieval buildings were pretty
depressing places to live in or worship in….
6. The Gargoyles of Gothic Architecture
One of the most notable characteristics of gothic architecture is the gargoyle….
7. The Emphasis Upon the Decorative Style and the Ornate
Gothic architecture marked the first time that beauty and aesthetic values had
been incorporated into building design…
Once that is done, I think it would be a good idea to focus on the general style and colours of the
page: I believe it would be a good idea to change the font of each of the titles, since it is not the
most readable of fonts and it definitely does not go with the rest of the webpage.
I think that these simple changes would go a long way towards improving the understanding of
the text and towards making navigation and the understanding of information easier.