Bells and whistles!!! But no real design

I know one should focus on good design ideas and be inspired by them. I promise I will do that from now on (after this post, I mean). I just couldn't help it, I had to share the frustration and astonishment that this website made me feel: http://www.cockchester.com/ It's in a certain way like my last post about the world's worst website. It's just that, in this case, it's real, not a joke.

Unfortunately, the site is in Spanish so, you'll have to take my word for it in many aspects. On the other hand, the design sins showcased here are so rampant that language is definitely not a barrier  to understanding the atrocities committed.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the website was that it was impossible to know at first glance what the site was about or what the business was behind it. The menu at the bottom of the page is difficult to see.  It is not obvious at all that you are supposed to click on the plus sign at the centre top of the page to see the menu.

When you are eventually able to catch up with the eight hovering pluses and hold your mouse over one of them, a link to one of the sites' sections will appear on the screen. There is not apparent connection between these links and the plus that represents them. They are random titles that don't offer relevant information to the visitor (titles like: "expressive, our friends" or "creative, our work" which don't make sense in Spanish either). Once you click on any of the links it's difficult to click on any of the objects that appear in their place, as they to keep on moving. It feels like you are hunting them down on the screen. There is too much movement, the navigation becomes annoying and stressful.

This screenshot showcases a group of five moving circles you are expected to click on after the pluses -- good luck.

The back and forward buttons on the browser don't work on the website past the homepage. If you click on them on any of the child pages you'll immediately be kicked off the site and back to Google (or whatever page you were looking at before).

If you manage to not be ejected from the site, and look around for a while, you finally realize that the company is an advertising agency. It takes a long time and patience to figure that out.

As a side note, the whole page was designed in Flash, which makes it difficult to access from PDAs (specially iPhones) and tablets (specially iPads).

The Good


OK, I admit it. Not everything is bad. But the good has nothing to do with design. If you manage to have the patience and time to drill deep, deep down and happen to find the portfolio of services (radio and TV ads), they are good. Just don't ever hire Cockchester to design your website or communications strategy, that will be a huge mistake.

The Colours
I understand that black and red are Cockchester + Partner's corporate colors and because of this it makes sense to feature them on the website. The problem is when they overdo them and create a claustrophobic feeling. When looking at the colours, memories from childhood came to my mind, the ones where you got sick after eating too much candy. It's so intense and overwhelming, that you definitely want to leave the website in less than one minute.

Conclusion: 

The website was designed to show-off and completely forgot about the end user. It's not a effective tool for business or communication. It does show that they have good Flash programers. The most important lesson here is: Don't forget your customer. It's not about "preaching to him or her" about how great you are doing fancy things on the internet. It's about effectively impressing your customer by catering to his/her needs and establishing a relevant channel of communication between the parties.  

P.S. If you feel like providing some feedback, you can email: cock@cockchester.com (Yes, it's a real email, I'm not kidding!)

Something terribly bad can be extremely effective

Yes, I know, it sounds like a complete contradiction. But it's true in this case. An effective way to make sure someone learns a lesson is making that person go through the consequences of not using the knowledge that you are trying to convey.

I found the World's worst website and indeed I believe that its claim is true: It is are horrible!

The interesting point about this website is that it outlines everything that could go wrong in designing an Internet site by just... doing it! It's probably the best way to get your point across. It's also interesting to see the concise explanation of each common mistake and how to avoid it.

I particularly enjoyed the second, third and forth paragraphs about font colors and background. I laughed off laud while trying to read the almost unreadable text while trying to mute the annoying music.    

I like this site because it's a humorous and clear way of learning about Visual Design. It's funny to say it, but it's very well designed for the message and feeling it wants to create in the visitor. When you are surfing though it, you truly feel claustrophobic and becomes obvious that the design is completely wrong. However you want to keep on reading, because it's just amusing to think that there are people out there (some of them possibly your clients) who think that this design ideas are good.

The terribly bad, can be, under certain circumstances, good.

Juan

Smart cartoons: More than just fun

A bit less than a year ago someone sent me a YouTube video about ‘Changing Education Paradigms’. It’s a lecture by Sir Ken Robinson, a world expert in creativity and education. I was absolutely delighted with the speech. But what got me especially excited was the original format that the creators of the video used to deliver the message. 

Publish Post

This way of presenting information takes the concept of visual learning to an entirely new level. Listening to Sr. Ken Robinson’s speech while watching how the images are drawn makes your mind understand the presentation more easily. I realized that I was paying more attention than I did when listening to a traditional talk. I also was able to remember better the lecture’s content afterward.

After I discovered it, I became a real fan of RSA Animated on You Tube. I think I’ve watched all their videos so far.

This is a good example of how a simple idea can make an important improvement in the way we present information. Most of us have probably thought of how nice it would be to generate a graphic representation of what our teacher is saying in class. Well, RSA not only thought of it, but also managed to realize it.

That’s one important lesson about design. Success comes when you make things simpler and follow your intuition. If you identify something that people want, or the way they like doing something, you should create tools compatible with that desire or liking. Apple is successful for this reason (among others): They create technological solutions that are intuitive, organic and fit our idea of ‘easier’ and more ‘spontaneous’.   

The RSA’s good design ideas don’t stop here. Today, I was almost speechless when I discovered the RSA’s website (http://www.thersa.org)

This is, definitely, one of the best-designed websites I’ve ever seen. It’s visually pleasant, you feel prompted to read all of it. The way information is organized is clear and relevant to the visitor. The colours are good. All the important information is available within three clicks. The site is an excellent support to their communication, advertising and branding efforts.

RSA is a smart organization doing smart things for the world. Clearly, part of that intelligence has been put to work in creating a exquisite design for their website.

  

I was on the Moon

Not literally. I went there virtually on an electronic journey. I found this website by pure chance: and immediately loved it. It was, simply, one of my biggest childhood fantasies made real. I had direct and complete access to the Apollo 11 mission with one big bonus: I controlled the pace of the experience, chose what to see and repeated it as many times as I wanted.

 The website, created to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the man on the moon, is targeted mainly to school students and teachers. I love its flash design which immerses the visitor in the whole experience. This is particularly important since they are addressing kids with short attention spans.

I was also impressed by the sound effects. I like the use of the old radio transmissions as background. Makes it very real. This is a good example of how design can include more than the visual element. It can include sound also. The more technology advances, the more multimedia we can include in our online experiences. Maybe in the future we'll be able to communicate smells, flavours and touch through the Internet... Why not?

The site's navigation has a few interesting features:

1. Buttons that link to additional information:

They are conspicuous but don't break the site's harmony.  They cause curiosity and look as a natural part of the experience. Well thought and designed.

2. Navigation controls: 
They keep the visitor informed. You know where in the mission you are and how long it will take to finish.

3. Action Buttons: 

You have control of each stage of the mission. It's like a video game.

The JFK Presidential Library and Museum successfully took the library-museum experience online.

This is a great example of how it's possible to create a powerful internet experience with a well designed Flash animation and a simple to navigate website.