Talking About Design: I
I have noticed that in 2017 more and more of the ubiquitous poorly designed devices and websites (my newly replaced cable box for an example) are being replaced by ones that are much more user focused. Below are a few examples of some of the well-designed and a few that leave room for improvement.
Examples of the Beautiful and User Friendly
Acnestudios.com (Fashion brand’s e-commerce site)
One of the most beautiful e-commerce sites I know also happens to be a pleasure to use. A colleague of mine happens to be in charge of e-commerce for the label and has regularly asked me to participate in user testing. It is a very design forward website, however remains easily and quickly navigated. I have made a handful of purchases from the site, each of which has been a trouble free experience.
Rowmote App for Mac (App to operate your Mac via your iPhone)
I often use my Mac with a projector and came across this app that allows a user to enter passwords via (text keyboard) and navigate through apps with an app that can mimic both the Mac remote and Track Pad. It’s functionality is simplistic, with a realistic icon for features allowing you to choose the most appropriate control for your task. $1.99 well spent.
Beautiful and User Friendly But Room For Improvement
Sub Zero Refrigerator
Below is a photo of my parent’s Sub Zero brand refrigerator, which had both improvements on my basic and outdated Fridgidaire, but could still better.
I particularly like the easy to find as well as adjust temperature controls for both fridge and freezer sections. I’m an avid cook and keep a well stocked fridge at home, however am constantly freezing my vegetables accidentally because the 1–5 control dial was tucked in the back of the fridge and even after locating it is not easily regulated with any precision.
I however am still surprised that refrigerator shelves are cannot be slid out to allow for easier visibility and access to items in the rear. I myself and my family members often end up throwing away food that has spoiled because we couldn’t see them tucked away in the back.
Leaves Room For Improvement
Low Budget Washing Machine Controls
Whilst living in London I learned that practically every apartment came equipped with a washing machine. However as much of a luxury as it felt to have my very own washer, I was completely befuddled by the controls.
No surprise, the budget models came with the most indecipherable control settings. With the exception of the temperature dial which was obvious I would essentially twist the dials and pray my clothes remained intact.
Certainly the main constraint is production cost on these models, many of which are sold internationally (at least throughout the EU) therefore are best served by dozens of symbols rather than a word descriptions. However a digital interface would allow for simpler localization through software designed for each region the unit is sold thus reducing the need for those terrible symbols no one seems to understand.
art.yale.org (Yale University School of Art site)
When looking for info on a lecture being held at the Yale School of Art I came across their website for the first time and was shocked at how poor it looked and displayed vital information. On the Landing page (shown below) link buttons are left aligned however the font is too small, the links placed too close together allowing for clicking the wrong button; several posts and fonts are unreadable do to the color and sizes chosen.
For example the Admissions page (shown below), arguably the most important sources of information for prospective students and the university alike, is congested, off centered, with font way too small and links buried within large blocks of information.
As an exercise I chose to offer an alternative design to the Yale home site:
Although every page is in need of redesigning I’ve chosen to focus on the Home Page, choosing the Skeletal Plane to illustrate a re-design of navigation to improve usability. This redesign includes moving the buttons to a horizontal placement at the top of the screen, and sub categories to these buttons to prevent clutter.
As it is designed now the user spends unnecessary time searching through 18 buttons, many of which will not be relevant to any one user.
Home page Skeletal plane
I would begin re-design of the skeletal plane moving the Main Menu to a horizontal position making better use of space and helping to make options as visible as possible.
Information deemed secondary to the sites primary functions can be placed in an additional horizontal menu at the bottom of the Home Page.
The Background Image can be placed in Body of the page allowing for all information to be read clearly.
The amount of Main Menu buttons could be narrowed from 18 to 6, and adding a Search Bar.
Many buttons omitted from the revised Main Menu (such as facilities) can be relocated to the appropriate submenus placed vertically on the pages they link to (see below).
