[Sigia-l] DVD menu user interface designs

[MJJAIXEN at up.com]

I had similar thoughts about a year ago.  We were considering purchasing a
DVD player as a Christmas gift for someone with Downs Syndrome who loves
movies - to the point of wearing out VHS tapes.  The thought was that DVD's
would be more durable, and would eventually supplant VHS tapes in the
marketplace.

Before we purchased it, we performed a usability test with the intended
recipient and several different DVD's.  The test was a horrible failure for
DVD's; she couldn't start the DVD even after being helped repeatedly.  Most
VHS pre-recorded tapes automatically start playing once you insert them
into the VCR, which leads to much higher usability.  I would imagine that
youngsters who can handle starting the VCR to play their favorite videos
would have similar problems as well.


Matt Kinney wrote:

While watching some new DVDs, I started wondering who is designing these
DVD
menu user interfaces.  A large number of these are difficult to navigate
and
are not as intuitive as it seems they could be.  As information architects
and interaction designers, I think we could add a lot of value to these DVD
production projects by designing navigation systems, organizing content,
etc.  I'm just curious if anyone out there is involved in creating these
interfaces and what your experience has been.  Sorry if this has been
discussed already.