UX, UI, Web Design and a Toaster Oven
Toaster oven
If you look around, you’ll find web design inspiration everywhere. Last week, I was inspired by the toaster oven, but not in a good way.
Imagine you’re hired to develop a website for a client. The first thing you must determine is the goal of the website, which will drive the key performance indicators (KPIs). Typically, we’ll want to develop the website to drive to most qualified users to the appropriate KPIs.
Don’t worry, I am getting to the toaster oven soon. I know you can’t wait.
Before the site is launched, it must be designed. Often designers will perform some level of usability testing, which may include internal and external user testing. This is done to ensure that the target user (who may or may not have good web skills) can actually find the KPIs. If people can’t find what you’re selling, then you’re probably not going to sell a lot of stuff.
Now, back to the toaster oven, which we purchased based largely on the reputation of the brand. Remember, “reputation” is often due to good marketing.
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NetFlix Wins Content Deal with CBS
NetFlix appears to have scored a major win, as they now have a two-year content deal with CBS. And while this is not a stake in Hulu’s coffin, it is an indication that NetFlix is probably going to continue to gain more traction among paying subscribers.
Roku streams NetFlix, which now has programming content from the CBS and ABC networks.
To the average user, this may not mean much. But moving forward, more people are going to discover the Internet button on their new televisions. When they do, they will be hunting for quality content.
That’s not to say that the content on channels like Blip.tv and CNet isn’t good. Many of the offerings that you get free on a Roku can be quite good. As a comic geek, I love watching iFanboy on my Roku.
But sometimes you just want to watch a well-produced network television show, since the conversation around the watercooler tends to be about those shows. NetFlix now has CBS and ABC content, which makes it a bit more competitive with Hulu, which has ABC, NBC, and Fox.
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Apple TV vs Roku – UX + UI For Senior Citizens
Apple TV streaming device.
I have a Roku and I love it. But for my father, the only web-enabled device he needed was the the Apple TV.
Here’s why.
Several years ago, my dad (a senior citizen) wanted a computer. I knew I should get him a Mac, but he became convinced that he needed a PC. A trusted family member (an IT professional) stressed that a Windows PC was the best option. Plus, it was cheaper than the iMac I was hawking. So we bought an IBM-brand PC (before it became Lenovo), loaded it with RAM, and connected him to the Internet.
For about a year, it was a great little machine. And then it started being a PC. It got fussy and occasionally crashed. It would do odd, PC-type things. I’d come over every couple of weeks to fix it up with new patches, defrag, and perform other minor maintenance. It was a lousy user experience (UX) and user interface (UI).
After a few years of frustrations, my dad broke down and bought a new computer. This time, a shiny new iMac. Two years later, I’ve only had to go to his house to download a few patches and install some games. That’s it. No crashing, no quirky personality traits. Just a computer that he uses to connect to the Internet and play his games. Nice UX and UI.
Apple TV vs. Roku
Flash forward to now. I’ve had my Roku for a month or more. My father is impressed and wants one. I show him how easy it is to use. He nods and says, “I heard that Apple makes one.”
I tell him that in my online research, Roku is getting better reviews. It is more flexible and open and may eventually be one of the online leaders.
And although the Roku has a USB port for pictures and videos, he wants something easier. The Apple TV does something that the others currently do not, which is connect with his iMac.
Yes there’s WiFi and of course he can use NetFlix on both of them, but my father wanted something much more utilitarian. He wants to show photos from his iMac on his television. He wants it to be easy and instant. No USB keys, no file transfers, and no wires. And if you’re already a Mac user, you want Apple’s ease-of-use. It’s all about UX.
Roku views pictures, but only if you tap into streaming Facebook. That Roku Facebook channel is fine for the pictures that you’ve uploaded, but we have too many family photos to upload for that to be practical.
Tapping directly into iPhoto is something that only Apple TV can do right out of the box. There’s no need to run cables or copy files to a USB. Apple’s closed ecosystem makes a lot of sense, particularly when the user is a senior citizen who just wants to use his stuff. Apple’s walled-garden approach offers a level of comfort, consistency, and compatibility that you cannot always achieve buying components.
For me, the flexibility and scalability of the Roku is perfect. It’s exactly what I need, since my primary interest is NetFlix and web-video streaming. I am a digital power user who blogs, tweets, uses TV apps, and reads ebooks.
For my father, the Apple TV is ideal because it becomes part of a series of networked devices that work well for people who want it to work with the minimum of technical experience.
If you’re in the market, I hope this little story-based scenario was helpful to you. Good luck and drop me a line if you have any specific questions about what you should buy.
M2M – The Future of Appliance Connectivity
AT&T Embedded Systems Are Coming
Right now, as of today, things like Internet-enabled refrigerators seem a little silly. Same thing for a ‘Net-connected dryer. Or any other machine that we typically thing of as, well, analog.
But in the periphery of the technology world are people who are developing machine to machine (M2M) hardware and applications. AT&T is one of the companies hoping to be the wireless connection between these devices. So, yeah, your lawnmower and your WiFi card will be tied together.
Looking forward, one day we may look back and wonder how we did without these interconnected M2M-based hardware appliances. It’s sort of the way we are all now deeply connected with our smartphones. (Seriously, if you left the house right now without your phone, you’d be feeling pretty anxious.)
At one time (deep in our past), we used to leave the house without our own personal phone universe. Look back in very, very, very old picture books and magazines, and you will see evidence of public telephones. People put dimes into these phones to use them for a few minutes. The “network” was something completely different back then.
In the near future and in the present, there are pill bottles that are Internet connected. There are Net connections in cars that allow you to Twitter while you drive. Read the CullmannDesign Blog for other ways that embedded systems are integrating into our lives.
As a technology marketer, I immediately dream about the ways that I can share brand messages on these new channels. It’s all about the content message. The channel is just a way of getting in front of people in unique and relevant ways. M2M will be another way that people get information that matters to them. Good marketers will figure out ways to send the right message to the right person, hopefully at the right time.
Last year, we saw the first skirmishes in the battle for the sofa. Now the M2M technology wars are just starting to get interesting and my garage-door opener has a Facebook page. How ya “like” that?
May the best Internet-connected blender win!
More stuff to read:
- NetFlix Ideas – Improving a Streaming Experience
- TV Apps Kickoff – 3 Things You Need to Know
- Don’t Believe Everything You Read
Aperture from App Store
It's easy to download full applications like Aperture from the Apple App Store.
This weekend, I broke down and bought a copy of Apple’s Aperture software. As a Mac user, I am typically very happy with the core software that comes with iLife, but I just needed something more powerful. And the Apple App Store has been daring me to purchase something from it.
As a published photographer with three photography books in Amazon and Barnes & Nobles, I figured that I needed something slightly more versatile for organizing images. iPhoto is okay, but it’s just not up for the task of organizing a huge library of pictures.
I’d dabbled with Adobe Bridge, which is part of the Adobe Creative Suite, but found it to be a bit slow and clunky. I’ve also tried out the Extensis Portfolio package, which was really quite good for $199. It allowed a lot of flexibility in storage and organizing. But as I moved from my old Mac G5 to my new iMac, I wanted something that would be a little more universal. That is, I’d never met another person who used Extensis Portfolio and I was concerned that, if I had a problem, I would have limited support options.
If I get a new computer, I don’t want to do what I am doing now, which is trying to upgrade multiple files and software packages.
Apple's App Store sells Mac software
Anyway, after doing entirely too much research, I downloaded Apple’s Aperture. In the stores, it costs $199. In the Apple App Store, it’s only $80. That’s the full version, not the upgrade.
The App Store was a pretty smooth and intuitive process. It just billed the purchase to my iTunes account and installed the Aperture application on my computer. I have no idea what will happen if I get a new computer, but for now, I feel pretty good about downloading software and not getting discs and a serial number.
Installing and using Aperture is a standard Apple experience. Everything works, and you feel good about your purchase. No wonder iPhones and iPads are flying off the shelves. People like a good user experience and simplicity goes a long way. Usability is important for end users, even power users and professionals.
Now comes the task of organizing and tagging 70,000 photos.
Additional links:
- 7 Tips for Better Flickr Traffic
- Dear Apple, Market to Me
- iPad – Week 1
- Good Content in New Channels
Free Kindle? A Matter of Time
Wow, that was fast. Just a few short years ago, the Amazon Kindle ereader was a red-hot gadget that claimed a premium price. At launch in 2007, the Kindle was priced at $399. And, get this, the original Kindle sold out within just 5.5 hours. (Don’t worry, they made more.)
Soon after, the Kindle 2 released. Somehow, through the magic of Moore’s Law, the price dropped to $299. Still not cheap, but dramatically less expensive than the original. As of this writing, you can get a brand new Kindle for just $139.
But wait, there’s more. I’ll be a panelist at the upcoming DTC National Conference in Boston. And I noticed that there’s a crazy promo. Register for the DTC event, and they give you the conference materials on a Kindle. And you get to keep the Kindle.
From $399 to free.
Amazon’s sales of ebooks are skyrocketing. According to Amazon, ebooks already outsell paperback books. No surprise there. So it makes sense to keep dropping the price on the Kindle. Heck, Amazon can give the ereader away for free and (probably) still profit on the ebook sales.
How long before this pushes down the prices of competing ereaders? Something tells me that the Barnes & Noble Nook will probably be considering a price cut. The Apple iPad? Probably not just yet.
Last year, I predicted “5 Reasons You’ll Be Using an EReader in 2 Years.” Um, I’d like to revise that now to “1.5 years.”
Additional posts:
- 5 Tipping Points for eReader Technology
- iPad – Content, Marketing & Comics
- Kindles + Kids = 37 Billion Reasons
- iPad for Student Health
Roku Enables USB Port
Flipped on the Roku tonight and discovered a new channel. The Roku XDS box had added a channel to enable access to the USB port.
It took a few seconds to add the channel and then another minute or so to download the required software. Plugged in a USB with some media, and that’s all it took.
Navigation is streamlined and intuitive. The Roku interface stresses simplicity over options, so it’s easy for beginners, but maybe a little dull for advanced users.
The Roku doesn’t come with an internal hard drive, so many of the other manufacturers including Western Digital have played up that feature. I’d seen the Boxee and was impressed with the external-media capabilities. So far, for me, that hasn’t really been an issue. I mainly stream NetFlix and a few select channels, but that’s about it.
Even though I doubt I will use the USB port to stream movie files, I wanted to give it a try. The Roku easily displayed the MP4 files, but seemed to choke on the WMV files. Photos saved as JPEGs displayed with no problem, although Roku struggled with the thumbnails.
In the end, it was a good user experience. Although, I must admit, I had low expectations, since I planned to use the Roku primarily for streaming. I don’t own many downloaded video assets. But new features — especially ones that don’t cost extra — are always welcome.
On a side note, a new channel for the Adam Carolla ACE podcast network also became available on the Roku. I like the podcast for my iPod Touch, but didn’t see the need to add it to my television because it’s only audio.
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