While load time shouldn't be the only consideration when determining a user experience, it is an important one. We can't simply dismiss the abhorant load time of this site in the name of being "novel." I believe it takes even more creativity to explore the edges of the technological envelope while still creating an exciting experience for ALL users, not just those with blazingly fast broadband. Anybody can create a wizzbang site that takes hours to download, but how many people can create one that is enjoyable to the entire internet population (from dial-up to broadband)? Those few sites are the ones that CreativePro should be showcasing, not these sites that are created by technophiles for technophiles.
Beyond the load time issues, which CP wishes to ignore, are the usability issues. The window doesn't adjust to match the users screen size, so users with large monitors can't read the type. This is something that is simple to fix, and shows a lack of usability testing. The site is also abismally hard to use, with the links swirling around forcing the user to "grab" them. I appreciate the novel idea of taking a museum and transfering it to the internet, allowing for a true exploration of materials. However the system must be deemed a failure if the user simply gives up on it due to its complexity...which is evidently the case here.
Submitted by JoshGold1 on Wed, 04/25/2001 - 06:04.
I find it amazing that some people would review this site as an example of good design. The site is simply too slow and the UI is unecessary complicated.
For many, a site's load time is the number one user experience and all else follows from this. This is a short-sighted view and one that leads to blindingly dull conformity. Here is a site, that while admittedly slow, shows the real potential for displaying information in this new medium. Compare it to something that is perhaps even slower loading, but more immediately accessible, like a music video. You're willing to wait for a known experience, but it's difficult to explore the unfamiliar. I say give us more exploration, and if it requires a minute's wait, it's a price worth paying.
Response to Authors Response
While load time shouldn't be the only consideration when determining a user experience, it is an important one. We can't simply dismiss the abhorant load time of this site in the name of being "novel." I believe it takes even more creativity to explore the edges of the technological envelope while still creating an exciting experience for ALL users, not just those with blazingly fast broadband. Anybody can create a wizzbang site that takes hours to download, but how many people can create one that is enjoyable to the entire internet population (from dial-up to broadband)? Those few sites are the ones that CreativePro should be showcasing, not these sites that are created by technophiles for technophiles.
Beyond the load time issues, which CP wishes to ignore, are the usability issues. The window doesn't adjust to match the users screen size, so users with large monitors can't read the type. This is something that is simple to fix, and shows a lack of usability testing. The site is also abismally hard to use, with the links swirling around forcing the user to "grab" them. I appreciate the novel idea of taking a museum and transfering it to the internet, allowing for a true exploration of materials. However the system must be deemed a failure if the user simply gives up on it due to its complexity...which is evidently the case here.
a typical example of an unusable site
I find it amazing that some people would review this site as an example of good design. The site is simply too slow and the UI is unecessary complicated.
wasted time
wasted my time waiting for nothing to happen. go back to the old drawingboard
The author responds
For many, a site's load time is the number one user experience and all else follows from this. This is a short-sighted view and one that leads to blindingly dull conformity. Here is a site, that while admittedly slow, shows the real potential for displaying information in this new medium. Compare it to something that is perhaps even slower loading, but more immediately accessible, like a music video. You're willing to wait for a known experience, but it's difficult to explore the unfamiliar. I say give us more exploration, and if it requires a minute's wait, it's a price worth paying.