Menu Design

[Toon]

I know I've posted this before but some of the work has been updated.

http://www.dariopicciau.com

One thing that has been brought to my attention is, I sent the link to a friend who is by no means a web novice and he had difficulty using the menu. This led me to think that as web people we take for grated our knowledge and use of flash menus but if a menu this in-depth (very impressive as it is) you could never use something like this on a company site where the user's have little or no web knowledge.

[Sammii]

I may offend someone here but this site is a perfect example of when the desire to use new technology over-rides the needs of the user (the user is supposed to be th reason for the site, not the ego of the designer or site owner).

Completely uselss website with navigation that would have stumped Columbus. When I say useless I mean the website was of no use to me - I had no idea what it did, no idea what it was there for and also I had no idea what I had to do. By the way, I have been using the internet regularly since 1995 so I am no novice to visiting sites.

I got so frustrated by seeing the words -click the banner and having no idea what the banner was.

A navigation menu is designed to allow a user to primerally 'NAVIGATE' the site and not to make them think, "Oh this is good isn't the designer clever."

If users cannot navigate the site easily they will click away from the site and never wish to return - mission of designer failed.

I was impressed with the bells and whistles but the lack of 'pay back' for me as a visitor soon made me weary of looking at it.

This is a problem with many Flash sites - very impressive when you first click on them and then moved away from and forgotten within a few minutes.

Give me an HTML site with good content and a good user interface any time over any Flash website with bells and whistles but has no point for me to be there.

Hope this helps.

[Toon]

And she fits in so well

[Sammii]

Originally Posted by Toon

And she fits in so well

Huh?

I hope I haven't upset you - after reading through my initial post I can see where it might seem I was being infair but I was approaching the critique from the point of view of the impartial visitor.

I found myself being frustrated by the navigation and when that happens it kind of alienates you from appreciating anythng else about what could be a remarkable site.

I don't go back on anything I said from that point of view but I hope you see it as positive criticism to help visitors who are not flash experts and and you don't want to alienate that section of the audience.

There was one hell of a lot of skill there but I couldn't get to the meat of the site through a very confusing User interface.

Please don't think I was knocking the designer in any way, after all I just surf and go - technical issues are not my forte - just the average Joe (or Jill) in the street.

[Toon]

Sammii you are so paranoid of upsetting people, designers are used to critique they have to learn to take it or they're in the wrong business, I am not a flash fan but still use flash elements for an effect. I'm another CSS Beauty fan.

[Sammii]

Yeah I agree, I am paranoid. The problem with forums and emails is that it is difficult to get the phrasing of a sentence out and an innocent phrase can sound like a terrible put down if you dont double check how you type things.

I will stop being such a paranoid wimp, sorry - NO I'M NOT! ;O)