Saturday, September 29, 2007
Why Users Fail
On Page 132 in the book “Prioritizing Web Usability” by Jakob Nielsen, it talks about the problems users have with websites. I strongly agree with the statement “Search and information architecture are larger factors in task failures” (Neilson 133). The user cannot find what they are looking for when they have trouble navigating the site and trying to find the information. What is your input on this? I really think that websites should just be plain, simple and straight to the point.
My blog
Here is a link to my blog that I am using for ICM 501. It has a lot of related information about technology and the theory of interactive communication. Here is the URL: http://exploringinteractivecommunication.wordpress.com/ . Comment to the blog if you would like to. It would be greatly appreciated.
Prioritizing Usability Problems
Reading Nielsen's Ch. 4 was extremely relevant and interesting for me. Currently, I am aiding in the relaunch of our website at work, while also making plans for a 2.0 relaunch for next year. The website we're working on will showcase independent musicians and bands and allow them to directly connect with industry pros in the music business that can help them out, including radio PDs and MDs.
Ever since I got to the company, I've been complaining about the usability of the site and the lack of functionality that it offers to users (when the employees complain about their own site...that's a problem!). Though artists loved it, it had some extremely limiting factors, such as the search function, design, and also lack of content necessary to jump into the program. It's safe to say that this period of relaunch has been a bit overwhelming because A) we didn't create and build the original site and B) there is just so much that needs fixing.
Nielsen actually took a bit of the heat off for me. Not everything can be fixed right out of the box, hence our relaunch and then future drafts for a 2.0. Comparing Nielsen's "Scale of Misery" (pg. 129) to his second pie chart ("Why Users Fail", pg. 132), it's easy to see that a few of the major problems users have cause both simple grief and also failure, pointing to the fact that these problems should be addressed sooner rather than later. Search, findability and Content are all high/relatively high on the same of problems users have.
I can gladly report that these are the aspects of our site that we are jumping on first thing.
We are broadening our search criteria, polishing up all our nav bars, changing out design/color schemes, and also freshening up our FAQs and About page to ensure it has the most up to date info possible. Despite general criticisms of some of Nielsen's findings, I found Ch. 4 to be quite helpful in my current situation.
Ever since I got to the company, I've been complaining about the usability of the site and the lack of functionality that it offers to users (when the employees complain about their own site...that's a problem!). Though artists loved it, it had some extremely limiting factors, such as the search function, design, and also lack of content necessary to jump into the program. It's safe to say that this period of relaunch has been a bit overwhelming because A) we didn't create and build the original site and B) there is just so much that needs fixing.
Nielsen actually took a bit of the heat off for me. Not everything can be fixed right out of the box, hence our relaunch and then future drafts for a 2.0. Comparing Nielsen's "Scale of Misery" (pg. 129) to his second pie chart ("Why Users Fail", pg. 132), it's easy to see that a few of the major problems users have cause both simple grief and also failure, pointing to the fact that these problems should be addressed sooner rather than later. Search, findability and Content are all high/relatively high on the same of problems users have.
I can gladly report that these are the aspects of our site that we are jumping on first thing.
We are broadening our search criteria, polishing up all our nav bars, changing out design/color schemes, and also freshening up our FAQs and About page to ensure it has the most up to date info possible. Despite general criticisms of some of Nielsen's findings, I found Ch. 4 to be quite helpful in my current situation.
People
I love this website. It has all the information a user needs when looking at a website. It has all the new gossip, trends, photos and videos. I think this is a great website to get up to date on the latest entertainment news. The URL is: http://www.people.com
Friday, September 28, 2007
Red for Anger
I think Donald Norman put out some interesting points about how something that is attractive may be simpler to use. I never really thought about how my emotions can be influenced by what I see or hear, or really thought to apply that concept to designing. I've always known that certain colors can evoke emotions - CVS employees used to always wear red, but changed over to blue shirts because they thought red provoked anger, though I still get flippant when they take forever to fill a prescription - and that certain sounds or smells can make me cringe, but I never thought that these elements could make carrying out a task easier, at least on the web.
I sort of have to agree that his comments on language and how the sound of a word can make it attractive or unattractive is a bit of a stretch, but I understand what he's getting at. I think if one studies linguistics they may be able to explain the concept better. I would say that if you consider some curse words, do you feel so happy when you hear them, especially that ones that have a hard consonant (I'm thinking of the f and c bombs)? I don't get that warm, fuzzy feeling when I hear them.
I sort of have to agree that his comments on language and how the sound of a word can make it attractive or unattractive is a bit of a stretch, but I understand what he's getting at. I think if one studies linguistics they may be able to explain the concept better. I would say that if you consider some curse words, do you feel so happy when you hear them, especially that ones that have a hard consonant (I'm thinking of the f and c bombs)? I don't get that warm, fuzzy feeling when I hear them.
Entertainment Weekly
Being a big pop culture fan, I practically live at EW's website (Hooking it into my Google Reader doesn't help me get any work done whatsoever). The layout and design of the site definitely aids me in procrastination. The homepage links the user directly to anything he or she would want. The horizonal nav separates the site from News, Movies, DVD, TV, Music, Books, etc. If you have something in mind, it's super easy to find.
Cover stories and TV Watches (reviews of last night's popular TV shows) can both be found above the fold, to your immediate left, while EW's "Pop Watch" (their blog) is to your immediate right. The center usually displays some sort of commemorative story or photo gallery. Without even scrolling down once, you could spend hours reading the latest news and reviews of your favorite indulgences.
The site in general isn't too fancy. It uses flash and video, but sparingly. The site isn't in your face, but rather, simple and modest at times. It's perfect for casual browsing and also for killing countless hours of time as you sit at your work desk or cubicle.
Cover stories and TV Watches (reviews of last night's popular TV shows) can both be found above the fold, to your immediate left, while EW's "Pop Watch" (their blog) is to your immediate right. The center usually displays some sort of commemorative story or photo gallery. Without even scrolling down once, you could spend hours reading the latest news and reviews of your favorite indulgences.
The site in general isn't too fancy. It uses flash and video, but sparingly. The site isn't in your face, but rather, simple and modest at times. It's perfect for casual browsing and also for killing countless hours of time as you sit at your work desk or cubicle.
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