Website Trouble....Big Trouble

Recently I've been covering physical products with my usability blog, but over the past few days I've stumbled on some websites that depict how to fail when building a website.  Uglytub.com has topped my list for one of the poorest built websites I've ever seen.  Typically when building a website, the first step is to make sure all the links work, the color scheme fits the topic and the site is built for the user to easily navigate the website.  Uglytub.com however completely ignored all of these rules and took a serious turn for the worse.  The site has multiple serious design errors, especially within the overall site design, top navigation and links.  

When looking at the site, the typical user would usually click on tabs located at the top in hopes of being taken to their desired page with information pertaining to that individual.  From using other websites (thanks to their mental model) most individuals would expect something to happen when clicking on anything on the page.  The ugly tub website however has only one link that works on the site.  None of the pictures are linked to any product and the other links along the top are not linked to anything and are simply there.  The other issue I have with the design flaw of this website is the overall experience the user gets with this site.  The color schemes and photos used have almost nothing to do with what the site actually is about.  This design flaw would surely create errors for the user when they arrive to the homepage and attempt to do some action.  The flaws of this site surely fit what you're not supposed to do with any website design for selling or informing the public about a product.  Hopefully in the very near future the developers of this site will fix these issues and create a better overall experience for the user.

Desks Are Just Not Big Enough

Through out my college career, I've spent countless hours behind a desk either studying, doing homework and sitting in class.  One of the biggest issues that i've come across is the size of the desks in our class rooms.  Though these desks are designed fairly comfortably and are aesthetically pleasing, they do not quite accommodate for the user.  The size of the space that is provided is not typically big enough for me or other classmates that I know.

The design error with this product lies in its overall desktop design.  Most individuals, thanks to their mental models, place their largest (and most needed) product in the middle of the desk space because there is isn't space for anything else.  The user experience for the individual that doesn't have many resources needed will be satisfactory with this product, but in many cases we need more then one thing at a given moment.  This results in an error and sways the user into creating a new solution when using the product.  The solution that I propose to this issue, though quite costly, would result in less errors for many users.  By ordering new desks that are are either larger, or come with attachments the errors would be less likely and result in more space for the individual to work with.  However the downside to doing this is the amount of money that would be needed to get the new desks and the space that would be taken away due to having larger desks in the room.

TV Trouble

The rise of simplistic design is within technology is a trend that has seemed to take over the market.  Though most of us enjoy the easy to use technology, there are some issues with having this design.  A great example of this can be found in my living room with my Vizio television.  The tv looks great, functions perfectly fine and has great visuals but can only be turned on if you have the remote.  There are no buttons on the tv at all which leads for issues if you were to ever lose the remote or the remote batteries die.  There is almost no design flaw when it comes to the quality of the television as it works perfectly, however there is a design function with the usability of the television.

Most individuals would resort to looking somewhere along the bottom of the television thanks to our mental model of tv's, but wouldn't find anything with my tv.  Using our mental models of products allows us to interact with things based off our past interaction with a similar product.  This issue with the tv isn't a terrible issue and can be easily taken care of without changing anything, but making some changes would create a better user experience.  By adding a few buttons to the tv, the usability of the product will increase and less errors (or attitudes) will arrise for the product.

Spacing Issues within the Library

Since going to college, I've discovered a lot of design issues with objects that we seem to use almost everyday.  Before studying within Digital Communications, I would generally adapt how I was going to use a product to what it could do.  Since coming here, I've learned that it should be the other way around.  An example of this is found within the Library in the corner of each part of the building.  A small table is placed next to the lounge chairs in a tall rectangular shape.  Within this rectangle is a sliding inner piece that swings out to create a table for one of the chairs due to the lack of table in the area.  However, the issue of having to create enough room for this piece to slide out arrises.  For the table top to properly be slid out and spun around for the chair, that has to be at least 2-3 feet of clearance on all sides or else it won't be opened properly. 

Though this table has no real mental model for us to understand because of its design, the usability of the table seems to be lacking a bit.  The table is usable and can work for the user, but the first stages of getting the table out causes issues which can result as errors for the individual using the product.  Another issue that can arrises due to the design of this specific table is mapping.  Because of the specific way that the table needs to be opened, most people don't understand how to properly use it unless somebody with experience with the product says something.  To make this product more usable, I recommend possibly having the table slide out instead of wrapping around the whole slide to come out.  I also recommend the use of a simple instruction sheet on the front of the table to let individuals know that a table is within the wooden shelf.