[Sigia-l] Real World UI Design Failure

[Louise Hewitt]

Hi Jonathan.

+1 for the 'it looks like an advert' problem

What you've done from a use perspective (remember they're reading things left to right) is force an ad onto the page that they can't get rid of and *is* getting their attention but it's not what they want to be attending to :)

Purpose of the page = search results
User goal = find out (based on my own criteria) which hotels are there I can stay in and try to pick one

Purpose of pinned element = promote offer and encourage sign up (sorry, but the way it's designed this *is* it's primary function)
User goal = Get this 'f*%&ing' thing out of my face so I can concentrate on the list

If you want a pervasive filter, then create a content module that only does that and deploy it.

If you want an ad, make an ad and take the hit.

Don't try to make one thing do both, or you fail at both.

:D

Hahaha, sorry for the 'cut to the chase' reply, I'm having one of those days.

Good luck

Lou.
On 8 Jan 2011, at 14:50, Jonathan Baker-Bates wrote:

> I like to remind myself that the default mode of design is failure. Quite
> often though, failure that can be hard to isolate or pin reasons to. But if
> anyone's interested, I've written up some stuff about what I think is quite
> a clear cut failure of mine:
> 
> http://webtorque.org/?p=1141
> 
> In summary: I thought we might be able to achieve a "polite" (ie noticeable,
> but not intrusive) prominence to part of a search results UI by using a
> pinned header. However, I've now found strong indications that I was wrong.
> The good news is that I *might* have found a clue in the form of some recent
> tired party research about out why I was wrong:
> http://visionlab.harvard.edu/silencing/
> 
> Incidentally, here at hotels.com, we log major assumptions about our website
> in a database (in this case the assumption is "Pinning items to the screen
> increases their visual prominence") and then attach research and other
> findings to them that may strengthen or weaken those assumptions over time.
> This allows designers to keep their heads above the raging tide of data that
> our analysts pump out, as well as our own qualitative research, and that of
> our Expedia big brothers and sisters.
> 
> Jonathan
> 
> PS: I'm recruiting for 2 permanent IA/UX positions. Do you have at least 5
> years UX design experience, preferably with some ecommerce in there? Would
> like to join a UX team of 12 in London's Covent Garden working on what is
> probably one of the most well-resourced commercial websites in the world?
> Then send me your CV because I'm having a hell of a time finding the right
> people.
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