May 2000
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bookstore in Dijon |
Bitter? Not me...
So, I go to newmedia.com because I want to grab an article in which I was quoted to put in my links collection. This site is a nightmare. If you do want to read what I said you can search for women.com and click on the article, "What Do Women Really Want?" by Kathleen Hildenbrand.Well, that's how I managed to find it.
The site uses layers, and is buggy in that special way only client-side code can be. Not only can I not bookmark the article, nor link to it, when I search for wodtke, then women.com, it keeps giving me the search results for wodtke. I have to close the browser and reopen it to get it to let me search for women.com.
Also, if you don't have a big enough browser window, then tough luck. There is no scrolling in these small layers, and so I couldn't hit the search button without stretching my browser window bigger... I hesitate to think what happens to someone who has only a 640x480 resolution- I surf at 1024. When reading an article, I can't use the scroller on my mouse. I have to hover over the little carrot to have it scroll. Which is does until it hits (what I think are) the last couple sentences, then it stops scrolling. I never do read the last two or three sentences on a page.
But the topper is the fact that their lead design story is on the value of usability testing... perhaps they might practice as they preach?
5/26/2000 8:00:28 AM
OneCenterPlaza
gets my vote for worst splash screen ever... a logo, and two buttons which, if you rollover them, say "walk the path" and "know the path" Why would I bother?And honestly I would recommend that you not bother either, since the rest of the website is just as cryptic. The only thing I could learn from "walking the path" is they are not launched yet, and they are hiring a UI person (good!). No sign of what they do, or even in what field. I can understand a stealthy launch, but why put up a site, then?
"Know the path" is no better: all you get is a form that allows you sign up to be notified why they are launch. Again, why bother... because I don't get enough email? Some inducement should be offered.
Is this the best way to intrigue users to sign up to find out when the site is launched, lure in prospective hires (such as myself) and venture capitol? I doubt it...
5/23/2000 3:29:29 AM
A recipe for recipes?
Well, I'm trying to find my recipe for pate brisee and all I can find is quiche. One more day of being a housewife, then I return to my more comfortable role of user centered design (IA, whatever)I can't help but think about what makes a good recipe... my quiche recipe is of course a stellar example of the worst... no instructions, in two languages, fuzzy measurements: if it was a website, Jakob Neilson would mock it. Still, it is useful to me; I recognize the crust as pate brisee, and remember how to assemble it. If this was a recipe for only me, I would give it high usability marks. Since it is the public area of my website, I cannot. Always remember who the audience is is the first rule of usability.
A good recipe - I think - would have clear measurements in both metric and imperial, clear instructions, links to basic cooking techniques (such as kneading bread, sautéing, etc) pictures of the dish and variations. I have always enjoyed Tavola (formerly Digital Chef) for just these reasons. They also have an excellent search. A quick search for Quiche Lorraine turns this up.
Nice!
5/22/2000 12:53:11 AM
not local
Nope, I'm in
France again, having just returned from Greece on my honeymoon and puttering
around Burgundy for a bit before returning to the grand USA to pick a new job.
Lots of intriguing opportunities out there right now!I'll put up pictures as soon as possible of Greece and France, but for now picture me here
(for more past visits, check this out http://www.nothing-new.com/travel)
In any case, I'm mostly online now, though irregularly and my ETA for returning is this Thursday. Sigh.
5/22/2000 12:53:11 AM
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