TFL's journeyplanner-messed up again guys?

[matgb]

I've mentioned the TFL and their sucky journeyplanner before, but now they've gone and done something really daft. I have journeyplanner.tfl.gov.uk bookmarked, as I like the advanced options like 'I only want bus routes' and similar. What do you get if you try to got here now? Under Construction. Um, that's not right, surely?

So I go to tfl.gov.uk and click the link there instead. I suddenly find myself with a new windo open (because I've not set all the options on this laptop properly it seems) and I'm going to a new site, journeyplanner.org. Mixed reactions, because if they've got a new site, they'r eimproving things, right? Except having used it a bit, it appears not. But also? Why will designers insist on opening new windows all the damn time? It remains one of the Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design:

Opening up new browser windows is like a vacuum cleaner sales person who starts a visit by emptying an ash tray on the customer's carpet. Don't pollute my screen with any more windows, thanks (particularly since current operating systems have miserable window management).

Designers open new browser windows on the theory that it keeps users on their site. But even disregarding the user-hostile message implied in taking over the user's machine, the strategy is self-defeating since it disables the Back button which is the normal way users return to previous sites.

It's such a bad idea, especially now with all the different browser platforms out there.

So, not only do approximately 1,780 incoming links to the old site no longer work, but they've broken basic usability rules, messed around with user expectations, yet still not actually improved the site in any way. What are they doing?

For the record, a small wishlist of things they could do to make the site usable:

• Saved searches--it would be nice for the site to remember where I live, the mobile version will save searches, but isn't that a bit less useful given that the mobile version is more likely to be used away from home?
• Easier preferences selection--I use the bus a lot, and sometimes the tube; as I don't go into town daily, I prefer to use Oyster pay-as-you-go, which means I don't take the train in. So it would be nice if I could set it to remember I prefer bus only routes, or bus+tube routes, rather than having to go down and deselect stuff all the time
• Map links to online mapping resources--Making me download a PDF to look at where my local bus stop is is bloody stupid, especially given the preponderance of decent online mapping software these days, and it's of no use at all if I'm on my mobile browser

I could go on, and I've not even mentioned the Oyster log in problem--forgotten your password? After three attempts, it takes you to a lock out screen, that tells you to go to the front page and click the 'lost password' link. Sound plan, except... If you go to the frontpage, it redirects you to the error message you're trying to leave. Lovely.

Massive organisation, big investment budget, huge website with lots of data, and they appear to have not done a basic level usability study. Ah well. mooism? Are you still thinking about that project you mentioned?

Comments

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

How come these tossers get to be "professional" web designers and get PAID for it when they are so clueless?

[matgb]

Because most of them are technically competent at either code or design, and a lot of SMEs haven't understood the need to be aware of other elements as well.

Most companies look at their website as a glorified brochure and sales platform; what they can get from the site, not what their potential customers can find useful.

There are exceptions, but they're a minority; there also aren't that many usability experts around, and they don't tend to win many arguments with the sales and marketing types. That's increasingly not the case, but it's a late start.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

But surely it's OBVIOUS that the point of a sales website is to be as usable as possible because this will generate more sales? Amazon seem to have grasped that from the start...

[matgb]

Well, yes, and Amazon gets huge plaudits for taking usability seriously right from the beginning.

But a lot of the time it's all about the pretty; how many really bad LJ layouts have you seen that make the eyes bleed but are damn pretty.

Then go to MySpace. Then remember a lot of the bosses don't know any better than that, and will get sucked into bleeding edge technology. My favourite 'worst website ever' link:
http://www.whitesnake.com/

Go shudder in horror.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

* lets the icon do the talking re: the whitesnake website *

[caramel-betty.livejournal.com]

But surely it's OBVIOUS that the point of a sales website is to be as usable as possible because this will generate more sales?

Sort of. There are a number of problems.

There are two particular problems with geeks.

1) Many geeks like bells, widgets, and shiny things. Trying to get them to make things simple and easy to use by getting rid of extraneous crap is something they don't understand. See the revolution that was the iPod interface, for example, vs the plethora of crappy interfaces that have existed before and since. "But if I can't get access to stupid-feature-27 from the front page, it won't be efficient!" Another example would be the Google interface. Previous search engines, links and categories aplenty, and all sorts of "web portal" crap. Google - just a simple box to use.

2) Sort of related to 1). Many geeks who write programs think about how they're going to implement it. Everyone else will, of course, know the decisions they took, why, and appreciate the great interface that communicates that precisely! Because they understand the innards of the program, when evauluating ease of use, they'll get it wrong. It's easy to use because they know it backwards.


Marketeers can screw up in other ways. They very often want to control the user's "experience", rather than just letting them get on with it. Which is a bit shit.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Mat has a bit of a problem with installing five million firefox extensions so that he can do things with one click that would have previously taken two, so I can kind of understand what you're saying with point one; although he does that to HIMSELF. He understands that other people don't necessarily want that kind of "functionality".

So yeah, both of those are problems with SOME geeks, rather than ALL geeks, I think. It's just that the geeks with the problem seem to be the ones that get the jobs.