Top 3 usability problems that exist on this site in my opinion

The title of the site as a library instantly

tells a user what the site is about – I was more concerned with the lack

of valuable content that could have been placed in this area along site

the current content to make the site more accessible to its users.

Basically the info found in the Books and Reading section could easily

be put onto the home page…

Here are my three points. I wrote this before I read the current entries

to keep my ideas unbiased.

Visuals:

•Visuals – unusual alignment for navigation bar. It’s confusing and not

predictable. The visual/aesthetic of this website does not have a

typical/predictable layout, which can confuse a user. It seems like the

designer has tried to create a clean original site, but has not

considered navigation.

•Colours used within the Teens and Children section make the page hard

to read.

•The site is lacking graphically – it has no content related images and

the resolution of the few images on the Teens and Children’s page is poor.

Navigation:

•Apart from the above mentioned right hand side navigation bar…

•‘Find a Book’, ‘Renew a Book’ and ‘Catalog’ are not identified as

external links and when the user is directed to the other site

traceability becomes very difficult. The HOME is not the home of Warwick

Public Library, so a user can easily get lost. There is also a feeling

of discomfort for the user seeing that there is no indication that they

are leaving the site and the visuals do not match and it may come as a

shock – even a reason for a user to leave the site entirely and

discontinue their search.

•Teens and Kids section has accounted for the different audiences, but

the navigation style is entirely different within these pages, because

the navigation bar has not been kept the same, some links have been left

out making traceability back to the homepage is impossible.

•The site provides two/four ways to enter the catalog; this being from

the links at the top of the page and within the navigation bar. It does

not have the same accessibility for the other categories listed at the

top of the page.

Language:

•Language used for Labels is not clear:

Top labels are ambiguous, and seem irrelevant in this location. It seems

strange that priority has been given to ‘catalog’ in the most expected

place to have a link to ‘home’.

Side labels are too long; shorter more familiar terms could easily

replace the current ones making users navigate the site quicker and easily.

•Terms are not consistent, when referring to the same sections of the

site: Kids/Children

This is an objective critical analysis. The writing style is very casual here because this is the way

my mind works.

What’s this site about? The logo is totally irrelevant and misleading;

it almost looks like the paramount picture logo. The text isn’t much

better: In what way does Prudential Verani Realty, may be the company

name but it doesn’t emphasis ‘property for sale’ to me; it’s not

something that I can remember easily, (I’ve mistyped the words and have

to check them to see if I’ve spelt them right – not to look like a

proper fool). In fact it discourages me to continue because it makes me

think that this site is trying to capture a niche market of upper class

buyers. I don’t think I’d spend much time in this kind of site.

After the logo the next thing that captures my eye are the three labels

on the right hand side. These labels immediately get to the point and at

the end of the day I think that these labels are probably the best thing

about this site. They are straight to the point and they address my key

needs, I’m looking for property, I need to know calculate my mortgage,

and sure why not send me an update, nothing to lose in keeping in touch

and knowing if anything else comes available.

Next my eye tracks back to the centre graphic and I think to myself who

is that woman? Maybe this site isn’t for me… that house looks way out

of my budget, I’m still signing up to their email update though.

Next I go to the list of labels, erh I’m tired I’ve been reading all

week at my new job and I’ve just spent all weekend reading study

notes trying to catch up. In fact (I’ll be honest I don’t even read all

of them). I ‘read’ (see) the first one HOMES & LANDS and terms of use

underneath. Now I’m thinking couldn’t they have summed it up at this

point with just the word ‘Property’. I’m finding LANDS really strange.

For some reason I jumped the text in the middle and looked straight at

the terms of use – text link and the contact us text link in the right

hand corner how untypical for this text to be there, but I’m happy to

see the ‘contact us’ link, and it’s only now that I’m am noticing the

‘contact’ in the capitalised labels list on the left side. What does

‘about us’ have to do with ‘contact’. (By the way I still haven’t read

all those labels.)

Now I’ve gone to the text. Verani sounds Italian, that reaches me on a

level of proximity, I live in Malta maybe these people are Italian;

interesting. The text is pretty direct here although somewhat lacking in

what I consider valid keywords for a real estate site. I’m not reading

the text I’m looking at it and picking up words like ‘specialise’, ‘Real

estate’. ‘Residential’, ‘your neighbor’. Great Italian neighbours that

Seriously!Jinterests me because I’m hungry and feel like some pasta.

Now for the more serious side of things:

*To use the top left corner of a webpage with a vague logo and long

unmemorable text/names isn’t ideal.

*The capitals in the list are most disturbing it reduces intention to

attract the users’ attention directly to that list but I think it does

entirely the opposite.

*The double labels, ‘search’ and ‘sitemap’ and ‘about us’ and ‘contact’

are confusing

*The labels are not in the best order in terms of usability and are

definitely not predictable.

*Labels are on the long side and not as clear as they could be.

*The last label stating ‘& more’, gives the impression that the content

on this site is really unstructured.

*Terms of use is unnecessarily duplicated and not in the typical position

*The site gives info about the Verani family, which is an interesting

personal touch – but who are they really? – maybe an actual graphic of

this family would have made the text more credible.( I understand that a

graphic of the family may be considered irrelevant to some people)

*Keywords are not stressed enough in the text on this page, so it

doesn’t correspond enough to SEO.