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This article first appeared in the October 1996 issue of the Journal of Online Genealogy
This article reviews the use of graphics on genealogy Web sites. Please note that this article was written in October 1996. Since it is so old in web years, some degree of link rot has set in. Where possible, I have made updates to the links in this article to reflect changes to the web sites described.
The World Wide Web is a multimedia forum, specifically graphical in nature. While I recognize that those using text-only browsers can't enjoy the graphics which appear on the Web, the majority of Web surfers today are using graphics capable browsers and most genealogical Web sites make use of graphics. The pictures, backgrounds, font colors, and animations which decorate Web pages are best used to enhance and amplify the flow of information from the Web page creator to the Web page visitor. In contrast to the graphics-heavy Web, we genealogists don't often think of our hobby as being a graphical one. Vital records, wills and deeds, and censuses are printed or handwritten character-based resources. The graphical nature of the Web may at first glance seem at odds with the genealogist's dependence on the written word. But when we consider the treasured family photographs we preserve, the maps and atlases we scrutinize, and the elaborate family trees we draw with care, the graphical nature of genealogy becomes apparent. The combination of the Web and genealogy thus lends itself to the use of graphics.
The best use of graphics on a genealogy Web page is to enhance the visitor's experience of the page. Graphics should be helpful and not detract from the primary purpose of a genealogy Web page which is to convey information. Graphics can, of course, be overdone, obnoxious, or just plain ugly. We've all seen examples of this on the Web. In sharp contrast to poorly done graphics, some of the best graphics complement an overall theme of a Web page. This is more than just the aesthetics of electronic interior decorating. Clever and appealing graphics enhance a page visitor's experience and entice them to see more of the page or to visit the other pages comprising a Web site. Good graphics are the "flowers" that attract the genealogical "bees" to a Web site. Successful information sharing is the "pollination" result of good graphics. This article will feature a few of the best uses of graphics by genealogy Web sites.
Maps have always been useful to genealogists to convey information. One great example of a map which provides information on a genealogy Web site is the GenSouth - South Carolina Genealogy page (http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/3837/). A map of South Carolina counties to show the status of the USGenWeb project for the state of South Carolina. Each county is color coded to indicate the status of that county's USGenWeb page. Counties are either orphaned (not sponsored and not online), orphaned but online (an existing page in search of a sponsor), under construction, or hosted online (sponsored and online). This is a great use of a map graphic to show information quickly and clearly in a very small amount of browser real estate. The power of this map graphic is enhanced since it is clickable. Click on a county and you go to that county's USGenWeb page if it exists. If the county doesn't have a page up yet, clicking on that county sends you to a page providing information on sponsoring a South Carolina county for USGenWeb. With a map like this, who needs long lists of counties and their sponsorship status?
Trees are an obvious graphical element which many of us use to decorate our genealogical Web pages. A good example of a tree graphic which also helps with site navigation is the Johnson Family Tree Home Page (http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/johnson_gen/). [Author's Note: I have been unable to locate an updated URL for this site.] Faye Johnson Jones has populated the tree graphic with apples which are labeled with the topics of other Web pages within the site. Clicking on the apples leads to the associated Web page. What an easy and intuitive way to navigate the site! Try clicking the Success apple for interesting stories about some successes in genealogy research.
Small graphics can be very helpful in giving the Web page visitor information. The international flavor of genealogy on the Web can make language a barrier on some sites. Yvette Pascale Hoitink has used small graphics to help give her visitors a clue as to the language used on other pages she links to. Yvette's Dutch Genealogy links page (http://www.twente.nl/home/genealogy/links.html) uses little Dutch and English flags to indicate the language used on other pages. A Dutch flag indicates Dutch, an English flag means the page is in English, and the combined flags indicates the page has versions in both Dutch and English. What a great idea for a useful graphic! The flags are small but easily convey their meaning.
Backgrounds can be plain or fancy, co-ordinated or clashing, but very few are actually tied to the genealogical research of the site. Viki's Little Corner of the Web utilizes the author's surnames of interest as a background. What a clever use of a background! How could a visitor miss what surnames Viki is researching when they are right there in front of the visitor as a background?
Family pictures naturally lend themselves to scanning and inclusion on a genealogy Web site. A nicely done example of using family pictures to enhance a Web site is Bruce Jewell's Family Tree & History of John Jewell (http://members.dcscomp.com.au/jewell/family-history/). The framed banner graphic on the opening page is a classy introduction to the site. Other pages on the site dedicated to family history make use of fast loading thumbnail photos of individuals, families, and family homes. Bruce sets a high standard of what can be accomplished with photos on a genealogy Web site.
A theme of complimentary backgrounds, borders, bullets, and other graphics makes a genealogy Web site look inviting and encourages browsing and repeat visits. A nicely balanced use of complementary graphics is Michael L. Hebert's Wayne County, Illinois Genealogy - Illinois GenWeb page (http://bl-12.rootsweb.com/~ilwayne/). Background, borders, bullets, and font color all combine to make a visit to this page easy on the eyes. The care which Michael puts into his Web page reflects positively on the care he must put into his genealogical research.
Clever logos can help make a page look good. The graphical nature of both ancestor charts and the Swedish national flag are cleverly combined at the Swedish Genealogy Page (http://www.acc.umu.se/~petersj/swegen.html). Peter Sjölund's use of this graphic on his page makes the rectangular shape of the flag and the rectangular boxes of an ancestor chart seem like they were meant to be combined. Notice that the yellow and blue of the Swedish flag is echoed in the page's borders as well.
The Kentucky Biographies Project (http://www.starbase21.com/kybiog/) displays a logo which combines several unique elements of both genealogy, the Web, and the locality. Designed by Helen Lawson, this clever graphic incorporates the tree and roots symbols of genealogy growing through the ground which is the shape of the state of Kentucky. A nice added touch is that the tree casts a shadow in the form of a web.
My favorite Web page logo for genealogy is on the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International Web page (http://members.aol.com/CGSI/index.html). It's simple blending of the genealogy tree and the outline of the former nation of Czechoslovakia is both subtle and clever.
Some graphics don't really add anything to a Web page but are just plain cute. Rather than detracting from the page, such graphics tend to be more intriguing and inviting. One example is the Genealogy Corner (http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/1657/genealogy.html). [Author's Note: I have been unable to locate an updated URL for this site.] The animated Victorian lady applying her hand held spectacles to her eyes certainly fits thematically with the rest of the page's Victorian theme. Bringing ancestors to life is one of the goals of genealogy and this animated graphic certainly helps us visualize the past.
No discussion of cute graphics would be complete without mentioning Bill & Peggy's Genealogy (http://home1.gte.net/wh7262/index.htm). Bill's shaking tree is famous among online genealogists. The matching background design complements the stick figure ancestor which falls out of the tree. Be sure to check out the other animated goodies on Bill's page as well.
Finally, Kraig Ruckel's Palatine & Pennsylvania-Dutch Genealogy Page (http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/3955/index.html) shows a mature genealogist at rest. No doubt the years of surfing for genealogy Web sites and the cost of this electronic hobby have reduced him to this state. Some graphics such as Kraig's animated old man can be just plain fun. Well thought out graphics can be used with success to enhance genealogy Web sites and the best of these graphics are more than just pretty pictures.
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