| Site
Seeing
Here’s
a few sites I continually draw upon for sample usage practices.
Ironically, many sites with solid designs, some of which are
my favorites, are no longer on the web. Many fell by the wayside
over the past two-years during the bubble burst, proving that
good sites alone do make a good business. However,
whenever a web contender takes a clean user centric approach
its competitors will surely follow, attempting to regain lost
market share.
Model
Sites
These few samples show how different designs address different
problem sets and succeed, sometimes excel.
IBM
My personal favorite is the wonderful IBM site (www.ibm.com).
Few realize what vast content exists at this URL. Clean design
and site architecture are executed with navigation that gets
directly to the heart of the content. The rich user content
is intelligently consolidated to connect the most branches
to a singular trunk. And what a variety of users this site
gets! It offers online consumer and business computer sales,
solutions for IT professionals, educators, developers and
government, with rich content for each. IBM even spawns mini-sites
for company and sponsored events that just happen to appear
on the right content path. Try it! And Kudos to IBM!
http://www.ibm.com
Searching
Aside from Google.com, I don’t really get into search
engine sites here. I will only say that Google sticks to being
a search engine. It does this fairly well but could focus
a bit more on subject personalization. The other search engines
have become consumer search-n-shop portals and seem to succeed
in competing with their own sponsors in an ongoing pragmatic
approach to design. Here the bottom-line and the user experience
are addressed separately instead of as a cohesive solution.
For any human factors student looking for a good portfolio
project, this one is perfect.
Amazon
If you’re looking to shop for something, anything, start
with Amazon (www.amazon.com). This site delivers in more ways
than just UPS. What’s really advanced about Amazon is
its deliberate and personalized approach to the site’s
content. Customer reviews are placed to enforce the “close”,
and associated add-ons are always presented, losing no opportunity
to increase the sales ticket. Everyone at sometime or another
purchases here. And since it provides a logical path to the
user, it provides an enjoyable experience that users are eager
to return to. What a wonderful balance of buy and sell!
http:www.amazon.com
FAO
Schwarz
There is much to be said for niche selling. FAO Schwarz (www.fao.com)
has survived the test of time and they do so with a focused
quick-sell solution. If you’re at work and need to get
little Billy the best game or action figure in the mail today,
this is the site to visit. Because they only sell toys, FAO
has been able to provide the focus that other sites sorely
lack. Even Amazon has more of a department store approach,
where FAO has the quick strip-mall in-n-out that so many consumer
crave. You can do a quick search or pick an age group. No
mixed message, just what you want.
I am fairly
certain that FAO did some serious user testing, since the
content and its point of appearance is the most natural of
any niche sell site around.
http://www.fao.com
CNet
A site that I frequent for high-tech goodies is CNet (www.cnet.com).
No superstore can offer the vast comparison of features and
price like this website. The site's premise has always been
a pre-sell information site. Sponsors abound and CNet should
have no problem with revenue goals. They don’t have
everything but qualify what they have in the most rewarding
user path. The layout is clean and subject association is
clear. I never buy a computer or peripheral without first
visiting here, even if it's to buy online.
http://www.fao.com
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