Looking through the eyes of the users
Often it can be hard putting yourself in the users shoes when designing a website. The complexity of interactions depend upon their level of exposure to the web, as can the language and metaphors used to represent things. For example the ‘house’ icon has become an adopted standard across the web for representing navigation back to the homepage. This can present a complex problem to a user with no previous exposure to the web. That is where convention comes in to help.
Websites such as Friends Reunited, Facebook and MySpace are excellent examples for you to base designs on. Put personal opinions of them aside, they have a huge, broad, unspecific user-base. The web exposure, age range and background of the users are diverse and by using Friends Reunited, Facebook and MySpace’s conventions for layout, navigation and interactions can greatly benefit how you design your user interface.
Familiarity breeds success and there is a strong possibility that some of your users already have an account with a social networking site and are therefore already expecting certain conventions to be followed from previous experiences with the sites. Social networking sites were used as an example due to the likely return visits of the user, and the same scenario could easily be applied to ecommerce sites such as Amazon.
2 comments to “Looking through the eyes of the users”
I can’t say I have ever before thought of looking to sites such as facebook and myspace as role models, especially myspace (fraid I can’t put personal opinions aside there).
However these sites along with the likes of flickr and youtube are high traffic sites for a reason as they are neither the first or only of their kind available.
With this said I think original or even ‘mystery meat’ navigation has it’s place, but again only when it suits the websites audience.
Unfortunately when it comes to websites if a client is involved it’s not always so easy.
Kean at 9.34 pm
on Wednesday 1st August 2007
I have to agree with Kean on this one…
I wouldn’t say the phrase “Familarity breeds success” when describing social networking sites but I would say “It’s not the place, it’s the people”.
Basically, if all your mates and millions of other people are using a site for networking, then you are going to sign up whether the site is a usability nightmare or not. I don’t think many people would turn round and say “This site has dreadful navigation! I’ll have no part of it.” and go elsewhere.
MySpace IS a usability nightmare but it doesn’t stop me or the rest of the world using it. I go back to it because I know it’s the place to look for new bands/latest music etc. But this doesn’t mean the site is any good.
I heard VIRB is the new MySpace - it sure looks nice but is anybody actually on there?
http://www.virb.com/
Jonny Crook at 3.37 pm
on Thursday 2nd August 2007