Week Three: Frequent Fliers

Add the url of two websites you use or visit frequently.

Discuss: 

1. Why are they effective? 
2. What specific principles of good design do they include and why?
3. What makes you come back again?
4. What could be improved?

Amazon

I think Amazon is effective because of the content they offer and free shipping features. If Amazon did not have these points going for them, I cannot say that their website alone would bring me back. I feel like Amazon is a guessing game and unless you know EXACTLY what you are looking for, you stand a very good chance of weeding through a ton of stuff that isn’t IT to find IT! For example, I was looking for a kids’ iPhone 4s case – something that I could put my old iPhone or iPod in and let my son play with it for 10 minutes and not worry about him destroying it (which has happened before. Thank goodness those screen replacement kits are fairly inexpensive and I have nice “Nick Burns, your company’s computer guy” type friends).

I had heard of something along the lines of what I was looking for; I just didn’t know the EXACT name. So I started with kids’ iPhone 4s case. I got all kinds of selections from One Direction to Twilight. Some Hello Kitty, which I love me some Hello Kitty but Hello Kitty is not 18 month old throwing down the stairs-proof. Ok…Regroup.

“kidproof iPhone 4s case” – close, but no cigar. I get the “rugged” and “durable,” but not kid-oriented. However, I do see a Fisher-Price one. Ok…moving closer. I checked the “recommendations.” I see stuffed monkeys and iPad cases and nothing that I’m looking for. Moving on.

“fisher-price iPhone case” – more iPad cases [scroll scroll scroll] monkeys again [scrolling] next page [scrolling some more] BINGO! Found it! 

That is what I inherently dislike about Amazon. I understand that when you carry everything under the sun, those type of hurdles are bound to happen. Plus, if you are a goldfish like myself, you get caught up in the what's recommended and leave spending money on stuff like this. Amazon is not mad about that. 

I think that is why Amazon's site is the way it is...to hook the goldfish like me. But I find myself not using Amazon to search for something, but instead going to it when I know the EXACT item I'm looking for.  If there was a way to eliminate the specificity of the categories, if so desired, then that might open up some search capabilities? That part, I'm not sure of, but it's a great theory in my head. Once I'm captured, then let the goldfish tendencies take effect (why yes, Amazon! I do need a Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine...and in two days please!)

Blackboard

Yes, I went there. Blackboard drives me blackbatty! However, it is an effective website because it's required, under some type of contract with your educational institution and definitely better than Moodle or other platform offered. 

Blackboard does offer repetition of layout and customization of design and colors for contrast. Navigation is what gets me. I wish you could mess with the settings so everything is standard throughout, but I understand that the standardization is limited to what the instructor utilizes. 

Obviously, I keep coming back because I need to so I can complete my assignments. And while highly customizable aesthetically, I would like to see more functional customization.