Web Design Rubric

CATEGORY	Excellent	Good	Satisfactory	Needs Improvement
Layout	The web site has an exceptionally attractive and usable layout. It is easy to locate all important elements. White space, graphic elements and/or alignment are used effectively to organize material.	The web pages have an attractive and usable layout. It is easy to locate all important elements.	The web pages have a usable layout, but may appear busy or boring. It is easy to locate most of the important elements.	The web pages are cluttered looking or confusing. It is often difficult to locate important elements.
Background	Background is exceptionally attractive, consistent across pages, adds to the theme or purpose of the site, and does not detract from readability.	Background is attractive, consistent across pages, adds to the theme or purpose of the site, and does not detract from readability.	Background is consistent across pages and does not detract from readability.	Background detracts from the readability of the site.
Color Choices	Colors of background, fonts, unvisited and visited links form a pleasing palette, do not detract from the content, and are consistent across pages.	Colors of background, fonts, unvisited and visited links do not detract from the content, and are consistent across pages.	Colors of background, fonts, unvisited and visited links do not detract from the content.	Colors of background, fonts, unvisited and visited links make the content hard to read or otherwise distract the reader.
Graphics	Graphics are related to the theme/purpose of the site, are thoughtfully cropped, are of high quality and enhance reader interest or understanding.	Graphics are related to the theme/purpose of the site, are of good quality and enhance reader interest or understanding.	Graphics are related to the theme/purpose of the site, and are of good quality.	Graphics seem randomly chosen, are of low quality, OR distract the reader.
Fonts	The fonts are consistent, easy to read and point size varies appropriately for headings and text. Use of font styles (italic, bold, underline) is used consistently and improves readability.	The fonts are consistent, easy to read and point size varies appropriately for headings and text.	The fonts are consistent and point size varies appropriately for headings and text.	A wide variety of fonts, styles and point sizes was used.
Navigation	Links for navigation are clearly labeled, consistently placed, allow the reader to easily move from a page to related pages (forward and back), and take the reader where s/he expects to go. A user does not become lost.	Links for navigation are clearly labeled, allow the reader to easily move from a page to related pages (forward and back), and internal links take the reader where s/he expects to go. A user rarely becomes lost.	Links for navigation take the reader where s/he expects to go, but some needed links seem to be missing. A user sometimes gets lost.	Some links do not take the reader to the sites described. A user typically feels lost.
Content	The web site has a well-stated clear purpose and theme that is carried out throughout the site.	The web site has a clearly stated purpose and theme, but may have one or two elements that do not seem to be related to it.	The purpose and theme of the web site is somewhat muddy or vague.	The web site lacks a purpose and theme.
Links (content)	All links point to high quality, up-to-date, credible sites.	Almost all links point to high quality, up-to-date, credible sites.	Most links point to high quality, up-to-date, credible sites.	Less than 3/4 of the links point to high quality, up-to-date, credible sites.
Copyright	Fair use guidelines are followed with clear, easy-to-locate and accurate citations for all borrowed material. No material is included from websites that state that permission is required unless permission has been obtained.	Fair use guidelines are followed with clear, easy-to-locate and accurate citations for almost all borrowed material. No material is included from websites that state that permission is required unless permission has been obtained.	Fair use guidelines are followed with clear, easy-to-locate and accurate citations for most borrowed material. No material is included from websites that state that permission is required unless permission has been obtained.	Borrowed materials are not properly documented OR material was borrowed without permission from a site that requires permission
Spelling and Grammar	There are no errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar in the final draft of the web site.	There are 1-3 errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar in the final draft of the web site.	There are 4-5 errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar in the final draft of the web site.	There are more than 5 errors in spelling, punctuation or grammar in the final draft of the web site.
Contact Information	Every web page contains a statement of authorship, school name, and date of publication/date last edited.	Almost all web pages contain a statement of authorship, school name, and date of publication/date last edited.	Most (75-80%) web pages contain a statement of authorship, school name, and date of publication/date last edited.	Several web pages do not contain a statement of authorship, school name, and/or date of publication/date last edited.