As my daughter gets older, I see her interest in technology grow. She’s from the generation where tech is part of her everyday life. She can’t imagine a time without it.
I encourage her interest, because it’s going to open doors for her in the future. We should all encourage the women in our lives to explore and discover technology. There are so many possibilities and opportunities out there!
Want to find out more about tech? If you’re in the Detroit area, check out these websites:
Best Detroit Websites: Sisters Code
I stumbled upon this website, http://sisters-code.org/, through LinkedIn, and it’s great. Overall, the website is easy to use, visually interesting, and packed with great information.
Sisters Code – Best Website Features
- Graphics – Great colors and relevant images make this website a joy to view.
- Banner – One banner message (it doesn’t rotate!) with an appropriate image behind it.
- CTA – “Donate Now” button is appropriate in color (great contrast to the purple)
- Content – Excellent content. It’s informative, well-written, and relevant. The content is also appropriate in length and layout, which makes it easy to read and digest.
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Sisters Code – Needs More Work
- Favicon – No favicon to identify the tab in the browser window. (Super minor detail.)
2. Not Mobile-Friendly – Surprised to find that this website wasn’t responsive. It was difficult to see the navigation and content on my phone.
3. Page Load Time – Some of the pages loaded slowly, over 5 seconds.
Best Detroit Websites: Women in Communications, Detroit Chapter
While searching for “women in tech detroit” this website appeared on the first page. You can view it here: http://womcomdetroit.org/. It’s a very simple, mobile-first design that’s easy to navigate. This website features lovely photography, but the homepage banner leaves something to be desired. Overall, it’s a great resource for Detroit women who want to expand their education.
WomComDet – Best Website Features
- Mobile-Friendly – The simple, responsive design makes this website super easy to view and use on any device.
- Contact Info – Contact info is in an excellent place at the very top of the homepage.
- Value Proposition – The website’s purpose is very clear. This is excellent for usability and search engines.
- Photography – Beautiful photography is showcased on the homepage. The News page also makes use of relevant, professional photography.
WomComDet – Needs More Work
1. Brand Design – The design is so simple that it’s difficult to feel much for this brand. Would love to see a more detailed, branded website design.
2. Homepage Banner – I’ve mentioned this above, but the homepage banner left me seriously underwhelmed.
3. Favicon – Like Sisters-Code, WomComDet doesn’t have a favicon to identify it in a user’s browser.
Best Detroit Websites: FOCUS: Hope
I also found this website on the first page of Google: http://www.focushope.edu/. This website’s focus goes beyond encouraging women in technology to improving the Detroit community, but it does offer info for women who want to explore technology, so I included it in this list.
Arguably, this is the most modern and user-friendly Detroit website I found. This website has an excellent layout. I especially love the homepage, which includes lots of pathways to additional information on the website. And this website has a favicon!
FOCUS: Hope – Best Website Features
- UX (user experience) – This website is well planned, which is why it’s also very easy to use, despite the vast amount of information on it.
2. UI (user interface) – The design fully supports the brand AND the goals of the website. Well done!
3. Rich Content – Excellent use of content throughout, including video.
4. Donation Form – Well-integrated donation form allows users to donate on-the-spot without leaving the website.
FOCUS: Hope – Needs Work
1. Hidden Contact Info – There is no Contact page in the navigation, which may confuse users. However, the contact info is in the footer of the website. The phone number is also not linked (this means that you can’t tap to call the number with your finger when on a mobile device). A note: this may be intentional. If an organization doesn’t want website users to contact them via phone, the information may be intentionally difficult to find and use.
2. Logo Design – I’m only mentioning this because it keeps distracting me. The rest of the website design is sleek and modern, but the logo sticks out as unpolished. There are a lot of colors, and it looks a tad amateur.
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Best Detroit Websites: Grand Circus
https://www.grandcircus.co/ is a beautiful and user-friendly Detroit website. The homepage banner displays the website’s purpose along with clear CTAs. Love the video banner in the background.
Grand Circus – Best Website Features
- Video Banner – Well-done, intriguing. Adds to the overall look and feel of the website.
- CTAs – Calls-to-Action are clear and obvious.
- User-Centered Content – The content is obviously written for the website users. It’s informative and speaks to individual target group pain points. This is professionally-written content.
Grand Circus – Needs Work
- Out-of-Date Info – The homepage displays a huge banner that encourages users to “Stay Tuned” for a report coming in 2016. Yikes!
2. Unbalanced Footer Design – This is super picky, but when viewed on a desktop, the footer design seems oddly off kilter.
Best Detroit Websites: Runners-Up
There were a few other Detroit websites focused on women in tech that were okay in regards to design, content, and functionality.
Black Girls Code – Would love to see a more modern design for this website. http://www.blackgirlscode.com
MCWT (Michigan Council of Women in Technology Foundation) – Great content, but the design needs to be updated. https://www.mcwt.org/
DAPCEP (Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program) – This website could benefit from a better layout and design. http://www.dapcep.org/
I know there are more great websites in Detroit for women who want to learn more about technology. If you know of one, please send it my way! Thank you.
I work at Artonic a Michigan Web Design & Marketing agency.