Is your website hot or not? - bit-tech.net Forums

WilHarris · 17th Jan 2006, 18:25

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/01...te_hot_or_not/

eek · 17th Jan 2006, 18:42

An odd study

The thing is though, what good is an attractive site if the design forgot to read "HCI for dummies" and the thing is impossible to use!

DreamTheEndless · 17th Jan 2006, 19:23

Another great book:

"Don't make me think" - check it out on amazon.....

UI design is the most important thing you can do.

Meanmotion · 17th Jan 2006, 19:27

At first I thought that was really quite interesting but then the more i think about it I realise all they've done is prove the obvious.

Shadowed_fury · 17th Jan 2006, 21:43

Thats so true!

scq · 17th Jan 2006, 22:08

The real design challenge is usability (for conservative web users), and style.

GuardianStorm · 18th Jan 2006, 00:07

1. Ease of access to information
2. Style
3. Easy Updating ( www.textpattern.com )

scq · 18th Jan 2006, 01:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuardianStorm

1. Ease of access to information
2. Style
3. Easy Updating ( www.textpattern.com )

I don't think usability out-prioritizes style. I believe both are equally important, but its also important you remember what its for.

I see little reason that a dictionary site would need a lot of jazz, but to sell a product, you definetly need to get the images and graphics going.

eek · 18th Jan 2006, 11:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by scq

I don't think usability out-prioritizes style. I believe both are equally important, but its also important you remember what its for.

I see little reason that a dictionary site would need a lot of jazz, but to sell a product, you definetly need to get the images and graphics going.

Yeah but if the site is so badly designed (from a HCI perspective) that it makes it impossible for the user to buy the product then what good is all the fancy gfx?

Would you really use a 'pretty' but non functional site over a plain easy to navigate site? Maybe at first, but I'm sure you'd soon get annoyed at it

It's all about striking the right balance and I'd agree with the others that more emphasis needs to be placed on HCI issues rather than style.

TGImages · 18th Jan 2006, 14:18

I have to agree with this to a certain extent. If a site is done in times with flashing blocks then it looks like it's probably 8-10 years old and I assume it hasn't been updated and thus has old info. On the other hand a nice looking site that quickly bombards me with ads, preofessional looking or not, usually doesn't hold me interest enough to decide if it has any useful content or not.

It all comes down to a clean, easy to navigate interface to get me past the first few seconds however staying power will be based on content. I would be interested to see the results of that study if they were to include content not just looks. In 50 ms all I've done is establish that the site appears to be realtively current. Give me a few dozen seconds and I've also established that the content is/isn't what I'm looking for.

-G

Da Dego · 18th Jan 2006, 14:23

Ah, but remember...this study takes your average user. So if you write web pages for a living, this is something you have to listen to whether you'd like to ignore it or not. Style comes before useability in the public eye...so you have to try and keep your pages looking sharp as they can, and then design your UI around the prettiness. That's essentially why this is so interesting, because normally we who design pages say "We need it to be accessible, THEN we'll worry about pretty.

seanblee · 18th Jan 2006, 16:35

I must confess, in 50ms I'd think the bit-tech homepage was actually the Creative X-Fi homepage - I currently see a double-height top bar, right-hand side bar and no mention of 'bit-tech.net' anywhere at all on the front page! Meh...
[EDIT: except for the tiny logo bottom-right which you only see if you scroll to the bottom]

MonkeyCircus · 23rd Jan 2006, 19:16

I think it also depends on what your looking for. If I'm looking for some technical info on a particular subject I don't care what the page looks like so long as it contains the data I need. You tend to find the pretty colours just get in the way of what you want. If it's general news, a forum etc. etc. then I think it matters a great deal more.

17th Jan 2006, 18:25	#1
WilHarris Just another nobody Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Oxford Posts: 2,671	Is your website hot or not? http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/01...te_hot_or_not/

17th Jan 2006, 19:23	#3
DreamTheEndless Gravity hates Bacon Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Portland Oregon USA Posts: 1,554	Another great book: "Don't make me think" - check it out on amazon..... UI design is the most important thing you can do. __________________ Srenob is deader than dead, so check out my new blog instead: http://i-have-a-blog-now.blogspot.com/ (Note - there's not much there yet, but maybe there will be someday.)

17th Jan 2006, 19:27	#4
Meanmotion Supermodder Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Bracknell nr. Ascot Posts: 370	At first I thought that was really quite interesting but then the more i think about it I realise all they've done is prove the obvious. __________________ Athlon64 X2 4400+ \|\| A8N SLI Premium \|\| 2Gb Corsair XMS Pro \|\| 2*40Gb Raptor (striped) \|\| 250GB External \|\| Radeon X1950Pro \|\| WinXP www.OutForBlood.co.uk \|\| www.4Qradio.com \|\| www.EdwardChester.co.uk

17th Jan 2006, 21:43	#5
Shadowed_fury Natural Born Chaos Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Telford Posts: 7,135	Thats so true! __________________ Steam: kev_fury New Frag Video - Gigabyte EP43-DS3L - E8200 - XFX 4870 1GB - 4GB Kingston - - Steel Series 7.1s - Logitech G11 - Razer Diamondback 3G - 2209WA -

18th Jan 2006, 00:07	#7
GuardianStorm Ultramodder Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 1,465	1. Ease of access to information 2. Style 3. Easy Updating ( www.textpattern.com ) __________________ Sites: My Site :: My blog Tools: Project Log Previewer Curent Projects: Dark Vortex Finished Projects: Yarrrbox :: Laptop Stand :: Bench PSU MK2 :: FS2 Guides: How To Bend Metal

17th Jan 2006, 18:42	#2
eek CAMRA ***. Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: in meh own little world Posts: 1,520	An odd study The thing is though, what good is an attractive site if the design forgot to read "HCI for dummies" and the thing is impossible to use!

17th Jan 2006, 22:08	#6
scq Hypermodder Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 783	The real design challenge is usability (for conservative web users), and style.

18th Jan 2006, 14:18	#10
TGImages Grandpa Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Illinois, US Posts: 160	I have to agree with this to a certain extent. If a site is done in times with flashing blocks then it looks like it's probably 8-10 years old and I assume it hasn't been updated and thus has old info. On the other hand a nice looking site that quickly bombards me with ads, preofessional looking or not, usually doesn't hold me interest enough to decide if it has any useful content or not. It all comes down to a clean, easy to navigate interface to get me past the first few seconds however staying power will be based on content. I would be interested to see the results of that study if they were to include content not just looks. In 50 ms all I've done is establish that the site appears to be realtively current. Give me a few dozen seconds and I've also established that the content is/isn't what I'm looking for. -G

18th Jan 2006, 14:23	#11
Da Dego Brett Thomas Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Cleveland, OH USA Posts: 3,906	Ah, but remember...this study takes your average user. So if you write web pages for a living, this is something you have to listen to whether you'd like to ignore it or not. Style comes before useability in the public eye...so you have to try and keep your pages looking sharp as they can, and then design your UI around the prettiness. That's essentially why this is so interesting, because normally we who design pages say "We need it to be accessible, THEN we'll worry about pretty. __________________ "Frankly that seems overkill. iluvtrees2 arguing with spec is the intellectual equivalent of a bunny rabbit taking on a pissed-off lion." - Nexxo

18th Jan 2006, 16:35	#12
seanblee Multimodder Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: London, UK Posts: 229	I must confess, in 50ms I'd think the bit-tech homepage was actually the Creative X-Fi homepage - I currently see a double-height top bar, right-hand side bar and no mention of 'bit-tech.net' anywhere at all on the front page! Meh... [EDIT: except for the tiny logo bottom-right which you only see if you scroll to the bottom]

23rd Jan 2006, 19:16	#13
MonkeyCircus Minimodder Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: South East UK Posts: 26	I think it also depends on what your looking for. If I'm looking for some technical info on a particular subject I don't care what the page looks like so long as it contains the data I need. You tend to find the pretty colours just get in the way of what you want. If it's general news, a forum etc. etc. then I think it matters a great deal more. __________________ e is the best letter of the alphabet, use it wisely...