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Matt OS X · Feb 23, 2006, 11:25 PM

Can someone top this? I doubt..

http://site06.com/

greenamp · Feb 23, 2006, 11:47 PM

That is one of the worst sites I have ever seen. A website should be informative and easily navigated, and that site fails at both. Every link I click takes 10 seconds to load.

If they wanted to show off their multimedia skills which are in fact exceptional, they should simply offer a sample movie for download in their portfolio section, instead of making the website a big f*cking movie.

A+ for concept. F- for delivery. He should stay with site06.

KeriVit · Feb 23, 2006, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by greenamp

That is one of the worst sites I have ever seen. A website should be informative and easily navigated, and that site fails at both. Every link I click takes 10 seconds to load.

If they wanted to show off their multimedia skills which are in fact exceptional, they should simply offer a sample movie for download in their portfolio section, instead of making the website a big f*cking movie.

A+ for concept. F- for delivery. He should stay with site06.

Wow. That's harsh. I thought it was great. Nothing took 10 sec to load on this end. WTF should multimedia people do on their website if they don't do multimedia.

greenamp · Feb 24, 2006, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by KeriVit

Wow. That's harsh. I thought it was great. Nothing took 10 sec to load on this end. WTF should multimedia people do on their website if they don't do multimedia.

They should make a website not a browser based movie with links for stop, play, and fast forward.
Web design, although still relatively infant in it's discipline, does have universal standards.

The litfuse section is what I'm referring to. It was great for the 1st half a minute. Then I actually wanted to clcik around and find some useful info , but all the info was read to me (rather slowly) by an animated ken doll.

KeriVit · Feb 24, 2006, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by greenamp

They should make a website not a browser based movie with links for stop, play, and fast forward.
Web design, although still relatively infant in it's discipline, does have universal standards.

point taken.

besson3c · Feb 24, 2006, 12:08 AM

These guys are New Media designers, so an interactive site seems appropriate to showcase their talents. This is a very compelling interactive site.

It seems unfair to compare this site to anything that isn't a New Media piece (i.e. normal websites)

greenamp · Feb 24, 2006, 12:14 AM

Originally Posted by besson3c

These guys are New Media designers, so an interactive site seems appropriate to showcase their talents. This is a very compelling interactive site.

It seems unfair to compare this site to anything that isn't a New Media piece (i.e. normal websites)

Go visit it 20 more times, and navigate to their portfolio section 20 more times, then come back and decide if my comparison was unfair.

I think their site could have easily been more usable without sacrificing the talents they were trying to relay.
For instance : http://www.2advanced.com

besson3c · Feb 24, 2006, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by greenamp

Go visit it 20 more times, and navigate to their portfolio section 20 more times, then come back and decide if my comparison was unfair.

I think their site could have easily been more usable without sacrificing the talents they were trying to relay.

You are missing my point. Web sites themselves are New Media, but most websites have different design goals: to provide you with easy access to their information. Information is managed so that it is accessible and as easy to find as possible, with respect paid to producing an aesthetically pleasing layout/design which is conducive to immersing one's self in the content. Content is king.

With a site like this, content is also king, but this sort of content aims to provide an immersive interactive experience, much like playing Myst.

Just a different set of goals. You want the site to not be like playing Myst, but perhaps you are not their customer or target audience.

greenamp · 12:37 AM

Originally Posted by besson3c

You are missing my point. Web sites themselves are New Media, but most websites have different design goals: to provide you with easy access to their information. Information is managed so that it is accessible and as easy to find as possible, with respect paid to producing an aesthetically pleasing layout/design which is conducive to immersing one's self in the content. Content is king.

With a site like this, content is also king, but this sort of content aims to provide an immersive interactive experience, much like playing Myst.

Just a different set of goals. You want the site to not be like playing Myst, but perhaps you are not their customer or target audience.

You don't have to sacrifice content for usability. A site like that could very easily have just as much content while being more usable.
Again, http://www.2advanced.com is the perfect example of what I'm trying to say. Yes 2advanced have been at it a long time, but the litfuse guys are just as talented so I don't think it's unfair to compare the two.

Ozmodiar · Feb 24, 2006, 12:47 AM

I agree, they are very talented but the execution was horrible.

greenamp · Feb 24, 2006, 12:56 AM

To dilute my harshness a bit, the site06 ("old" part) section of the site is awesome and is much better than the litfuse section IMO. That video of the guy dancing in front of his silhouettes on the iPod posters was amazing.

SirCastor · Feb 24, 2006, 01:28 AM

As an information retrival site, it's not a good design. A company that's trying to sell, market, or advertise and product or service should never utilize something like this. For a personal site, I think it's great. I like the old one compared to the new one though.

It appeals to me as an exercise in abstract, but fun. Kind of the way an experimental film appeals to me. Generally I'm not interested because I like relatively simple, classical narratives. But sometimes an experimental film will stand out, and I say "Hey, that was cool."

11011001 · Feb 24, 2006, 01:35 AM

I disagree with most of the people here. I wasn't looking for anything on the site, and it just sorta helped me go around in an interesting way. It was just fun to play with, and it was fun to find all the neat little bonuses.

Totally awesome.

analogika · Feb 24, 2006, 01:43 AM

I REALLY like their old site.

Totally rock.

The new one I had to a) skip the intro video because I got annoyed and b) close the site before I got even the slightest bit of info about the guys because I got annoyed.

brapper · Feb 24, 2006, 01:49 AM

Ya, I appreciate what they're trying to do, but it didn't hold my interest very long.
Still, obviosuly some good work.

besson3c · Feb 24, 2006, 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by greenamp

You don't have to sacrifice content for usability. A site like that could very easily have just as much content while being more usable.
Again, http://www.2advanced.com is the perfect example of what I'm trying to say. Yes 2advanced have been at it a long time, but the litfuse guys are just as talented so I don't think it's unfair to compare the two.

I'm not sure 2advanced is a great example of usability either, you need pretty good eyes to be able to read the text on their site.

What sort of usability issues did you find with the original site? Too long to get to the content? I agree, but I'd say that the designers didn't design the site for the impatient, but those looking for a cool immersive interactive experience.

What else?

ambush · Feb 24, 2006, 07:01 AM

I wish people would get my clue: flash is out. except for cartoons. maybe.

2advanced is pathetically 2001-style.

Millennium · Feb 24, 2006, 07:38 AM

The problem here is that the guy is trying to say that this is a Website, rather than some kind of interactive movie. This is a very interesting movie, but it's terrible as a Website (hint: opening every single page in a new window is very very bad).

What he should do is make a real Website, and then make the movie a part of it.

Matt OS X · Feb 24, 2006, 08:34 AM

Okay, how about this one:

http://www.billybussey.com/ and click on "enter- view intro"

production_coordinator · Feb 24, 2006, 08:55 AM

Originally Posted by Millennium

The problem here is that the guy is trying to say that this is a Website, rather than some kind of interactive movie. This is a very interesting movie, but it's terrible as a Website (hint: opening every single page in a new window is very very bad).

What he should do is make a real Website, and then make the movie a part of it.

I agree... the movie part could be a BIG part of it... but there needs to be something more basic and easier to access. Especially if you are trying to attract business.

tooki · 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by Matt OS X

http://www.billybussey.com/ and click on "enter- view intro"

That intro took one hell of an overblown ego to put in public...

[Edit] And the rest of his site exemplifies why Flash doesn't belong in websites: broken navigation (since you can't use any of the standard keyboard shortcuts, bookmarks, etc that the browser provides), long loading times for small amounts of information, tiny, tiny text that you can't change the size of and that is in low-contrast colors, custom controls, etc. He's got great graphics, but they ruin a web page. Why should it take 30+ seconds from when you press "contact" to when you see the email address, AIM name and phone number?!?

tooki

besson3c · Feb 24, 2006, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Millennium

The problem here is that the guy is trying to say that this is a Website, rather than some kind of interactive movie. This is a very interesting movie, but it's terrible as a Website (hint: opening every single page in a new window is very very bad).

What he should do is make a real Website, and then make the movie a part of it.

I can agree with that, I was just looking at this thing putting on my New Media hat. It is a very interesting and stimulating New Media piece, but I agree that if you use the usual sorts of website metrics it doesn't make for a good website.

besson3c · Feb 24, 2006, 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by ambush

I wish people would get my clue: flash is out. except for cartoons. maybe.

2advanced is pathetically 2001-style.

I think Flash is particularly bad at designing entire large sites in, but it is useful for developing little widgets, embedding movies into, and using as a little Swiss Army Knife tool, as opposed to strictly a content delivery system.

wdlove · Feb 24, 2006, 10:10 AM

I would certainly put up the websites the besson3c has worked on. The are very nicely done.

besson3c · Feb 24, 2006, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by Matt OS X

Okay, how about this one:

http://www.billybussey.com/ and click on "enter- view intro"

I've never seen smaller fonts in my life. Why? Why? WHY? WHY???

Why do people insist on using tiny tiny tiny fonts?

wdlove · Feb 24, 2006, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by besson3c

I've never seen smaller fonts in my life. Why? Why? WHY? WHY???

Why do people insist on using tiny tiny tiny fonts?

As one ages past 40 the the small fonts pose a real problem.

KeriVit · Feb 24, 2006, 06:12 PM

Originally Posted by Matt OS X

Okay, how about this one:

http://www.billybussey.com/ and click on "enter- view intro"

The type is FAR too small, I gave up looking cuz I'd have to sit on my screen. Other than that I was intrigued, I Really was.

Miniryu · Feb 25, 2006, 02:52 AM

Dude, this site is totally engaging and entertaining!! I LOVE IT. If I was going here to buy a toster, it would suck. But I'm not. I'm going there because I want to be engaged and to see what the guy is capable. Its awesome.