Re: Map Generator....

From: Simon Beresford <sb@sophron.demon.co.uk>

Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000

Can you (or anyone) recommend a book/article/anything that expands on
what people really like/hate about web sites based on research data.

I have a lot of battles about site design and it would be great to get
some references which would help.

Regards

Simon

In article <86d65j$jc8@crl3.crl.com>, George Herbert
<gherbert@crl3.crl.com> writes
>Terry Austin <taustin@hyperbooks.com> wrote:
>>"Tim Franklin" <tim@leaphome.pelican.org> wrote:
>>> Terry Austin <taustin@hyperbooks.com> wrote:
>>> >The only assumption you should make is that
>>> >people are looking at your web page for content.
>>> >Presentation is largely irrelevant to most people.
>>>
>>> Presentation is irrelevant to people viewing the site looking for
>>>information.
>>> Presentation is *everything* the marketroids who present both the money
>>>and the spec for most corporate web sites.
>>> This explains very simply why a goodly number of corporate web sites suck.
>>>
>>Yep. And as long as web designers don't have
>>the balls to just tell the marketroids "If we do that,
>>it will suck" and explain - and show - why, that
>>will continue to be the case.
>>I wouldn't hold my breath, were I you.
>
>Actually, my day job (contract?) is at top-5 web design house.
>On big contracts, we spend tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands
>of dollars doing market research on test user groups to see how they
>like various UI features and make things more user friendly.
>While people generally don't like graphical doodads a whole
>lot there are a lot of UI functions and layout and presentation
>design issues which *do* significantly enhance the average web
>customers experience and make them happier with the site and more
>likely to order there.  The old style HTML enthusiasts belief
>that presentation isn't important has failed in the face of
>actual serious research done by people for whom the results of
>the research mean a lot (of money, time to market, etc),
>we and our clients have a lot of interest in getting the
>research conclusions accurate.
>
>The gaming community might be atypical compared to the study groups
>used for normal commercial sites, but I doubt it's completely atypical
>in comparison.
>
>Of course, my home consulting company's website regularly gets email
>responses saying "your site sucks, let me redesign it for you!",
>but I actually did that on purpose.  I'm not trying to sell things
>via the website at this time, just provide some limited types of
>information for which presentation isn't really important.
>I know better about the design issues, and when it's appropriate
>for it to be properly nice looking and attractive in the marketing
>sense it will be.
>
>Companies trying to sell things really should spend appropriate
>amounts on proper marketing research, user group surveys and
>a few focus groups to analyze user responses to your UI and
>presentation, and proper site designers to impliment the results
>of the above.  The amount invested in those should be scaled
>appropriately to the volume of business desired and expected,
>of course.  But if done right it does pay the investment back
>appropriately.  Depreciating marketing is a common geek trait,
>but doesn't survive contact with the actual business world.
>
>
>-george william herbert
>gherbert@crl.com
>

Simon Beresford
sb@sophron.demon.co.uk

References

Re: Map Generator....
"Terry Austin" <taustin@hyperbooks.com>
Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Map Generator....
gherbert@crl3.crl.com (George Herbert)
Sat, 22 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Map Generator....
Ilya <ilya@spam.free.gamecommandos.com>
Tue, 18 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Map Generator....
"Terry Austin" <taustin@hyperbooks.com>
Thu, 20 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Map Generator....
tim@leaphome.pelican.org (Tim Franklin)
Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000

Referenced By

Re: Map Generator....
"Terry Austin" <taustin@hyperbooks.com>
Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Map Generator....
gherbert@crl3.crl.com (George Herbert)
Sat, 22 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Map Generator....
Ilya <ilya@spam.free.gamecommandos.com>
Tue, 18 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Map Generator....
"Terry Austin" <taustin@hyperbooks.com>
Thu, 20 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000
Re: Map Generator....
tim@leaphome.pelican.org (Tim Franklin)
Fri, 21 Jan 2000 00:00:00 +0000