FW: [Sigia-l] Newsletter Usability (translated)

[Elisa]

A friend of mine was able to translate this email message from Alexandre
Castro e Silva regarding newsletter usability.  He evidently has a complete
blog on this issue on his website.

I hope this makes it easier to discuss.

Elisa (in Dallas)


-----Original Message-----




People who work with online media know Blue Bus. I read it every day and
have been subscribing for the newsletter for years.  It's indispensable.

The newsletter, however, has an irritating and serious usability error. Open
the figure to the left and follow me.

First you see the tagline: "Everyone leads Blue Bus." Cool.

Later, a promotional blurb that I think is a bit unnecessary, but this one
doesn't really bother me: "This bulletin is distributed to more than 18,000
active users three times a day (morning, afternoon, and night).

Honestly, I've been reading this newsletter for years, and just now, in this
moment, while I was writing this story, I noticed this blurb. Maybe it was
added recently. If not, it only proves how users train to not see what
doesn't interest them. Since this information is relevant to only a few
users, I would recommend putting it at the bottom of the page, so that it
doesn't become another obstacle in the path of a reader who wants to read
the news that he or she wants.

Next, the link "Read now-http://www.bluebus.com.br" and the appropriate
news.

"All right," the user thinks. This is where I want to go. He reads all the
news avidly and gets really interested in going to the "blue bus" to learn
more.

But where is the link? Not there.

There is one more blurb: "Blue Bus, 100% of the audience create opinions and
make decisions," and the only visible link is for signing up if you want to
change or cancel your subscription. "You are receiving this email because
you have subscribed to BB. To change your information, cancel the service,
or read blue Book's privacy policy, go to
http://www.bluebus.com.br/cadastro.frm"

A question of flow
Interfaces must indicate the flow of navigation to the users. Even though
there could be several options to follow, the company must know, clearly,
which one is the option that it wants the users to follow and which option
the majority of the users want to follow. In the best of the worlds, these
options should be only one option.

What does the blue bus want? That after reading the news, the users click on
the link and go to the site.

What does the user who signed up for the newsletter want? Open to more news,
he want s to click on the link to go to the site and read the completed
news.

Total convergence. Couldn't be more perfect.

But the link is not there.



-----Original Message-----
From: sigia-l-admin at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-admin at asis.org]On Behalf Of
Alexandre Castro e Silva - Usability
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2004 11:52 AM
To: SIGIA-L
Subject: [Sigia-l] Newsletter Usability


Usabilidade & Arquitetura da Informacao
http://blogdeusabilidade.blogspot.com/

___________________________________

Usabilidade de Newsletter

Quem trabalha com midia online, conhece o Blue Bus. Leio diariamente e
assino o newsletter ha anos. E indispensavel. O newsletter, porem, tem um
erro de usabilidade serio e bastante irritante.

Primeiro, vem o tagline: "Blue Bus todo mundo le". Beleza.

Depois, um blurb auto-promocional que acho meio desnecessario, mas que
tambem nao me incomoda: "Este boletim e distribuido para mais de 18,000
usuarios cadastrados ativos 3 vezes por dia (manha, tarde e noite)"

A seguir, o link: "Leia agora - http://www.bluebus.com.br", e as proprias
manchetes.

Enfim!, o usuario pensa. E aqui que eu quero chegar. Ele le todas as
manchetes avidamente e fica interessadissimo em ir ao Blue Bus saber mais.

E cade o link? Nao tem.

Ha mais um blurb, "Blue Bus, audiencia 100% formadores de opiniao e
tomadores de decisao", e o unico link visivel e para a secao de cadastro,
caso eu queira modificar ou cancelar minha assinatura: "Voce esta recebendo
este email porque se cadastrou em BB. Para alterar seus dados, cancelar o
servico ou ler a politica de privacidade de Blue Bus, entre em
http://www.bluebus.com.br/cadastro.frm"


A Questao do Fluxo

Interfaces devem indicar um fluxo de navegacao ao usuario. Mesmo que existam
dezenas de opcoes a seguir, a empresa tem que saber, claramente, qual e a
opcao que ela deseja que o usuario siga e qual opcao a maioria dos usuarios
quer seguir. No melhor dos mundos, elas serao uma so.

O que o Blue Bus mais deseja? Que depois de ler as manchetes, o usuario
clique no link e va para o site.

O que o usuario, assinante voluntario da newsletter, mais deseja? Uma vez
aberto seu apetite pelas manchetes, ele quer clicar no link para ir ao site
e ler as materias completas.

Convergencia total. Nao poderia ser mais perfeito.

Mas o link nao esta la.

(continua...)

__________________________________________

A versao completa, e ilustrada, dessa materia esta no meu blog

Usabilidade & Arquitetura da Informacao
http://blogdeusabilidade.blogspot.com/

------------
When replying, please *trim your post* as much as possible.
*Plain text, please; NO Attachments

Searchable list archive: http://www.info-arch.org/lists/sigia-l/
________________________________________
Sigia-l mailing list -- post to: Sigia-l at asis.org
Changes to subscription: http://mail.asis.org/mailman/listinfo/sigia-l











__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com
.










Do you Yahoo!?
Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs