ok, there're few reasons why i start this thread. however, the main aim is to aid designers/web developers and such to better make their designs.

concept sharing and suggestion are well welcomed.

let's get this started.

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[1] ok, i've created this website few weeks back, need more feedback about usability (as from a user's perspective), how it performs? is it convenient? and etc..

link: http://www.fmctech.com.my | fmctech.com.my
site owner: fmc technologies sdn bhd
developer: me, and few other developers in my team, credits available on site.

comments are well welcomed. beta as for version two. have a look at it, scrutinize it, give out comments and suggestions.

reply right to this thread or mail me directly > hakim[at]fmctech.com.my

need help/guide/code samples? ask. we'll work this whole thing out. after all, this is what this thread meant for

Attached thumbnail(s)

I am not really into full flash websites due to slow loading and high demand on bandwidth but anyway, here are my comments :

- Layout is cramp and clumsy. Navigation isnt well laid but if you can spread out the layout and have more space for eye movement, it will be great.

- Navigation isnt well laid as you have 2 portion of menu.. top and bottm right. The bottm right, a mouseover function will be easier than clicking on it.

- The layout seem to be very tight and its like a full featured site "compressed" into a micro site feature which is a unhealthy practice. Try expanding the width if you want to maintain the height so that you can space out the content nicely. But i highly recommend to expand both in height and width.

UPDATE : - I found out that your layout is designed for 800x600 minimum viewing. BUt still i highly recommend you to expand your layout.. to put more space on each column.

- Its easier for me to explain all the Windows thingy you have in the middle of the site by sketching out a layout but due to scanner isnt around at the moment But i will skip that and continue on your site update column. If you target audience is mostly adults and senior approx age 40++, make that bigger. Approx 10 pt font is good enough.

Conclusion : color is ok.. but the fonts is abit off.. are you using Arial ? The site is pretty ermm different from what i have seen.. keep it up

I think you can achieve the same result by using javascript and html coding. Cant see why you want to make it a flash site if you don't fully utilize it.

And at some pages i need to click on the "x" to go back to the main page? while on the main page i click "x" to go back to the splash page? quite confusing. and its like too many pop up information.

design quite clean. but at some part it could be better like the banner part, and maybe for the top and bottom part of the gradient bar, they shouldn't share the same height.

and the arrangement of the navigation menu bar, you might want to try adjust it a bit. cause now its like not well arranged.

Firstly, what do you guys do?

I thought it was an e-commerce website selling computers and when I was mindlessly exploring (like any user) those banners interpreted that your company deals with computers whether it's sales or service.

Here's the funny thing. While I was looking for your About Us, I couldn't find it until I saw that it was hidden at the bottom right corner. The other thing misleading is using an arrow '>' as a button. Did you know arrows also signify a direction, in other words a link? I first tried clicking on that button expecting it to work however found out later I had to click 'learn more' instead.

Though your layout looks slightly clean, your navigation and direction is everywhere. There isn't any flow (What is this 'flow'?).

As for font size, I used to use 10px and then 11px as a standard however now I'm using 12px and even aiming for 14px my default font size in projects. Why? It's because the bigger the text, the less strain on the eyes.

Here's the thing most Flash designers are pretty arrogant or forgetful of. Search engines can't scan text that are antialias. So please use device fonts or non-antialias text. If you're afraid it looks ugly, go buy a Mac or go ask everyone in the world to switch on the ClearType feature in Windows.

Lastly, here's some advice on how you can totally improve your website.

Use the simple and clean layout you're using in the HP page and Consoles & Gadgets page. Most companies in your business try to make their website look cool and sleek however they fail to understand that's their reason for failure. They get so lost in the aesthetics that they totally forget what really makes a usable website for their customers.

So sit down with your team again, and rethink how you can create a fusion of Flash and a static website. Your techy geeks would appreciate the Flash coolness, and your average business customers would feel enlightened by the speed and usability of your website.

If you think all that was valuable, come to us for a consultation or website audit.

etsuko, you got it right on the font comment.. was trying to think the word anti alias for the whole night..

heheh..wow, few comments right up even after only 24hrs+ posted..nice,a good start.

thanks a lot i'm now working on a better layout, same concept - but revamped! with fixes and enhancements of course.

lets keep this thread up. and as for examples? yeah, that would be great

onscreen, what to do? too many tech jargons for everyone to remember today.

moujo, the only example you need now is your own layout. get back your mojo man!

- first thing's first - i hate to view everything in FLASH. i need plugins. i need loading. balblabla.

- all those things on your site could be done with HTML + CSS + javascript + CSS which IMO is better for browsers across the board AND also it's easier to maintain / do changes as you don't need to come up with a new SWF.

- me thinks the design is clean but the layout is...........woahhh (in a bad way). the contents - at first glance - there's like so many places to go, so many places to click.

- there's no clear indication on which part of the page is for what. information / text everywhere.

- the navigation with drop-down menu, it's nice but it doesn't go away!!! let's say if you highlight notebooks, it's there forever!!

- must all your content be a pop up window? it's really annoying that everything i click to view i also have to click an X to close.

This post has been edited by goldfries: Jan 22 2007, 10:12 AM

I don't understand, why u wanna make it using flash. I think u'll put more time + effort in flash web, than using java/html if what u wan is the same(i mean the same result.) Java/html can actually achieve the same result like ur flash web lerr..I agree with the others, if u wanna do flash web, u must fully utilize the flash. about the navigation, if u wanna make flash navigation, put more effects on it, but not by moving the words.

great site... but if u can fasten up the frame rate, it would be much better... layout is nice... animation needed very much as you are using flash and build a full flash site... so, do more animations... others, so-so laa... can improve more if you do more browsing and get some ideas thru the net...

yep yep, i'm here again.

firstly, thanks for the great comments. all are highly appreciated and hopefully it will benefit those who matter (me? of course

fixes are done (a bit), more coming and in progress
anyway, here's a screenshot of the current one:



fixes:

- separation (accordingly to sections)
- flash optimization thru image formats and components (swf size)
- trying to comply to as much standard rules as possible to
void any problems (at least making it less as in term of usability)
- javascript implementation (no more 'click to activate control' once loading is done

known issue:

- page nor rendered properly using IE7
- firefox loads it flaswlessly

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foot notes:

- thanks to all of you, especially etsuko for the comments
- any ideas, comments (yeah!), and related ones are well welcomed

hopefully this will benefit those who participate here in this thread
hopefully this post will be a new momentum which will later move this thread again, and again, and again...

Yup, certainly much more better than the previous 1
Although some page is like quite empty and haven finish (i dunno wat), but overall very clean and well arrange now.

But can try make full use of the homepage bottom dark gray button. Put some animations or have some transition from page2page rather than just click then straight away change would be nice

Nice Job

Thank you but the award should go to your team (and you) for taking the time and improving the website many folds based on feedback.

It's improved many folds but I've got a few personal peeves still:
1. Why is home called fmctech.com.my home? Is it another website? You get the idea.
2. Why is Learn More > all the way to right and not aligned with the rest of the text?
3. Does 'highlights and more' become bigger when I rollover because I'm squinting my eyes to read that part. Make it brighter or increase the size.
4. Change to RSS Headlines. And place 'Subscribe to our RSS' on the far right of the bar so that it prompts users that they can subscribe to your headlines.
5. I'm just curious of what's the website goal(s) because you guys have chosen to place Happenings, Arrivals, Services and Consoles + Gadgets above the products (Notebook, Desktops, Applications and Gadgets) at the bottom.

Well, that's all of my personal peeves. At this point, you guys should be buying me a nice Paddington's Pancake House Latte. LOL!

Cheers.

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6. Didn't notice you guys even updated the website. I just thought a screenshot. Anyway, I think the jobs, query and feedback links fail to do 1 thing. Go back to where I came from. From those pages, I can only go back to Home.
7. Though the position of next/previous page is okie, I find it weird putting all the way on the left.

Guess that's all of it..I think.

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p.s: You guys don't mind I use this as a blog article?

This post has been edited by etsuko: Feb 9 2007, 06:57 PM

In my opinion,

1. 'query' should be changed to 'contact us' . This is the first time I have seen the word query used, and is doesn't really strike me as a link I should click to contact the company. At first I thought is was the search function. (Which is missing and should be added)

2. Since this site is for Malaysians, it is better that you don't use flash. Most of us are still on dail-up, affected by slow speeds or are downloading stuff. So the faster the page loads the better. Because people are just willing to wait a short while for all the info. If it takes too long to load, they'll leave the site.

3. Maybe I am too old fashioned, but I doubt that anybody is going to bother about the RSS headlines. Better is you just add an RSS button on the top of the page so people can sunscibe to RSS feeds.

4. Like etsuko mentioned earlier, I find it strange that 'Happenings, Arrivals, Services, Console+Gadgets' is displayed prominantly at the centre of the page and "Support, Notebook, Desktop, etc" is displayed at the botton of the page is grey colour fonts.

5. The fmc technologies at the top left hand of the page should be a link back to the start page.

6. Add a link 'Products' on the upper right hand corner with the login | about us | jobs etc

7. When I clicked on 'notebook' I am led to a pge with notebooks, and there happens to be page 1 and 2. I suggest that you combne both pages and make it in such a way that you can scroll up and down instead of clicking. I guess people hate to click and want to get the most info in the least clicks. Then shift the brand of the notebooks to the area where there is the page 1,2. And where the Navigation-Brands were, replace then with links to all the models available for that brand.

8. In the notebook and desktop section, try to bring me to another page when I click on the 'square' that contains the picture and the specs of the notebook. In the page provide more info on the product and give them a bigger picture.

9. In the games sections, I get a list of games but when I click on it, I should be brought to a page with more info on the game. And try to make an option to sort the games by genre.

I really think you need to set your goals straight and if possible, share it with us.

Because from what I'm seeing, if you don't set the goals right and straight then the feedback will keep on coming improving the overall experience but not the direction your website should be heading.

nice thanks for the comments guys.

i'm now working on the layout (yeah, this one), there will be no major changes in terms of the layout itself

still have few more sections to add which will take some time.

utilization of flash (to the highest point (as if/where applicable and relevant) is also in progress.

note: yeah, again - i highly appreciate the comments posted by u guys and as for etsuko - yeah, it's a positive as for your request

thats all for now, will be back (yeah - i surely will )

Thanks to the inspiration from moujo's thread, I've come up with an article for anyone looking to test their web design in future.

10 Tips to Test Web Design

Thanks for giving me the permission to use the screenshots, moujo.

cheers.

i'm a flash lover, who like to play stuff at websites, like to click there, like to explore and go 'ooohhhh', amaze at movement or interactivity

- at first, if this is flash... where's interactivity? where's motion? i dont see it all. i mean just the preloader is just flash.

- if it's flash, why all pages still need relaoding and linking to other page.. why dont use loadmovie function.. that will be more beneficial and will add to it's aesthathics.

- i expect to see when click arrow, things will go transparent, moving things, fading all those stuff but.. it isnt there.. it's like a html based

if the reason you limit movement and transtition, then try flash scripted animation,. that way it will reduce the file size.

mouju, much nicer now.

well done on the redesign

well, i do agree with momochi about user experience. I think is better to add a little bit of animation/ transition. that would add the coolness

and for the four big black buttons, is better if u use a more contrasting color on the selected button. personally i dunno the first loading the page, the page is "arrival" first. so is better to use a different color like maybe red [the red u use for "new" or the red for secondary title]

just my opinion

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one more:

is the RSS headlines can be click? y it shows hand cursor, but when i click, nothing happen

This post has been edited by jayhan: Feb 22 2007, 08:35 PM