Media: New Thinking lays into the Incomprehension of Branding on the Web

In his latest column, Gerry McGovern makes explicit a problem that doesn't seem to be going away: that ad agencies interfere with good web design. What we've all been thinking for years as we wait for the 'creatives' to catch up:

'Whenever I talk about the need for simple, clean web design, there is nearly always someone in the audience who raises an objection. I am informed that I don’t understand branding.

'Branding. I don't know how many times branding has been used as an excuse for awful web design. What's the biggest global brand that has emerged in the last five years? Google. And it's because of its multicolored logo? Or perhaps because it’s a great search engine?

'Branding on the Web is about successful task completion, not fancy images, or heaven forbid, Flash. I ask my audiences: "What do you do when you see a Flash intro?" Almost in unison, they chant: "Skip Intro!" (Why, there's even a website called skipintro.com.) What is a Flash intro except a fourth rate TV ad by someone who knows that they will never get the chance to do a real TV ad?'

Hurrah! He promises that next week we will find out why ad agencies don't understand the Web, and what we can do to avoid making their mistakes.

Associated Link: Web design: never let an ad agency near your website

All change at the top for System Concepts
Source: System Concepts Ltd, 3 July 2009
 
Leslie Fountain has been promoted to joint Managing Director of leading usability consultancy System Concepts.

Life in UCD immortalised in fiction: you couldn't make it up
Source: UN, 2 July 2009
 
Sarah Herman's fictitious book on life in a user-centred design company has hit the shelves and The Guardian's book pages...

Interfaces Magazine - Issue 79: The Education Issue
Source: Interaction Group, 1 July 2009
 
The latest issue of Interfaces is now available as a free download from the Interaction Website.

Two new Behavioural research Tools from Noldus
Source: UN, 30 June 2009
 
Tool updates make on-site behavioural data collection easier.

Cell Phones that Listen and Learn
Source: MIT Technology Review, 29 June 2009
 
New software tracks a user's behavior by monitoring everyday sounds.

Top Six Don’ts for Usability Testing
Source: FutureNow Inc., 27 June 2009
 
Six tips for creating quality usability tests to ensure useful feedback from testers.

Usability: ‘Lovely software. But I can’t work it’
Source: FT.com, 26 June 2009
 
In a recent survey by Global Graphics, 77 per cent of office workers estimate they lose up to one hour a week because business software is difficult to use.

And what do you do?
Source: Dexo Design, 25 June 2009
 
How do you describe your job role? Here are the results of a recent 'Preferred UX/UI Title' Poll.

Most Doctors cite Usability as critical to Electronic Health Record Adoption
Source: TMCNet, 24 June 2009
 
It's all about 'meaningful use'.

Glossy monitors look good but can hurt
Source: QUT, 23 June 2009
 
A new advisory cites research which suggests high gloss monitors make users sit awkwardly.