Announcing Score7

I’ve started a new blog called Score 7, which will rail against dissapointing trends in video game media and celebrate the unsung heroes.  If you’re interested in the growth of this industry too, take a look:

Score 7

I’ll still publish to this blog about general digital design stuff, I’ll just have them going in parallel.

Filed under: folly, revolutions, user-centred

Xbox 360 New Interface and Avatars

It seems like a fair time to revisit my previous post about the Xbox 360 digital facelift.

I started off by lamenting the work-in-progress nature of console interfaces these days.  Well generally the new Apple-style interface does seem an improvement over the very confusing ‘blades’ system, and the upgrade process was pleasantly fast and effortless.  Could they have fixed their previous interface without totally redesigning it?  I would say yes, but this isn’t so much about redesign…  

It’s immediately evident that the real objective for Microsoft is about introducing their avatars and opening up their marketing/sales opportunities for downloadable content. Most notably, while there are some usability improvements here, the amount of ads and sales channels are borderline irritating and introduce needless steps between turning on the console and playing a game.

Referring again to my previous post, I was concerned that Cover Flow wouldn’t work for the complexity of the menu options. I think I was half right there.  In addition to left-right navigation of the current menu, which is very pleasant and fits very well, they’ve added an up-down channel selection carousel which is rather less successful.  It’s definitely visually pleasing but I often find myself lost.

Comparing the avatars to the Miis on the Nintendo Wii, I’d say they made some mistakes:

Flexibility – Wii avatars allow for detailed customization (eg, choose exactly how far apart your eyebrows are) whereas the Xbox avatars are quite limited in their flexibility (I doubt we’ll see caricatures of famous people on Xbox)

Optional – Wii avatars are an option in many games and are found under a sub-section of the main menu, whereas Xbox avatars are forced upon you and shown front-and-centre whenever you start the console

Style – Although the Wii avatars have a cartoony cuteness about them, their high level of  simplification allows for a wide range of character styles to be made, whereas the Xbox avatars are firmly set in a cute, family-friendly style

Ulterior motive – there’s no doubt that the Xbox avatars are part of a plan to introduce monetized content (ie, pay for clothing upgrades)

Overall, I’ve no doubt that the target audience they are now aiming at will lap this up. The monetization and downloadable content features are also very impressive, if a little too geared towards Microsoft’s interests than the customer’s enjoyment.  One of the biggest factors in brand affinity is simply the question ‘is it me?’ and while they’ve given a new consumer segment good reasons to say Yes, I suspect there’s a large number of people from the established base who are a little doubtful in their answer now.

PS – I’ll save the usability horrors of the PS3 interface for another day – just so you know I’m not only about Microsoft-bashing

Filed under: 3D, folly, presentation, style, trends, user interface, user-centred , avatars, downloadable content, microsoft, miis, monetization, ui, usability, user experience, user interface, wii, xbox 360

Web Without Words Reveals Clutter Overload Is Still Common

I just came across this site which is doing a very interesting experiment in web UX analysis:

Web Without Words

When I look at these block schematics of high profile websites I’m horrified at how cluttered and complex they are.  It reinforces the manifesto I’ve previously put forth: customer experiences should not be this complex and intricate. Yet it’s a design approach which is sadly still very common.

Filed under: folly, presentation, style, trends, user interface , clutter, information architecture, schematics, web design, web without words

Xbox 360 New Interface Design

So apparently the Xbox 360 user interface is getting a total overhaul.  I’m impressed at how aggressive they are about innovating the product experience with this move.  It’s very daring, and certainly a first among game consoles, to completely change the UI from what people have become familiar with over the past years.  

We’ve entered a new era of in-life OS upgrades for online consumer products (thinking of the major game consoles, Tivo, the iPhone and iPods).    Although the benefits are evident with each valuable feature added, I’m perturbed by the overall experience:

• The products are a work in progress – I’m not entirely OK with buying at full price an unfinished product
• Updates are not always for the better – for example, the Tivo interface has been on a downward slide with each new addition 
• The upgrade processes are mostly laborious and time-consuming – can’t they update themselves without any work on my part?

Back to the Xbox’s new interface.  Although I’m pleased to see that they’re giving it a clean-up, I’m somewhat underwhelmed on first impression:

• Looks a lot like coverflow - positive points for looking good but negative points for being derivative
• Bright white and new avatars – seem inappropriate for the established gaming user base and reminiscent of the Wii
• Fit for purpose – coverflow seems overly simplistic given the inherent tasks of managing messages, game lists, etc.

We may be seeing phase 2 of the Master Plan here – Xbox was originally developed as a trojan horse for Microsoft to get into the living room. With this UI change and the growing video rental capabilities of the console it appears they are finally making good on that strategy.  However I am skeptical that this device, which has established itself as the choice of the hardcore gamer, and which sits firmly in the ‘Games’ aisle of major stores, will transition to a general entertainment device. If they pull that off it will be a stroke of genius.

Filed under: 3D, folly, presentation, revolutions, style, user interface, user-centred , announcement, engadget, in-life, strategy, trojan horse, user interface, xbox 360

Resist the temptation to tinker

I’ve noticed a phenomenon many times over where a product is launched with a clean, simple customer experience, then over time the owners of the product tinker with it.  They add a little something here and a little something there, and before long what they have is no longer clean and simple but scrappy, inconsistent and clunky. 

Often it’s the result of good intentions.  When you are focusing hard on product details it’s quite easy to lose sight of broader issues.  The solution is about staying true to a broad vision for the user experience. When the product was first developed there should have been an overall experience vision that guided design choices and consistency.  It’s when products deviate from the vision that they get messy.  

Often that vision exists but it’s not articulated anywhere – it simple lives in the minds of the original product team. I’m an advocate of getting this vision* down in a PowerPoint deck or some form of document that can be passed on to future caretakers of the product.  When people making updates have a vision document to refer back to, there’s a better chance they’ll take a smarter approach when making changes instead of tinkering with details.

*Note this is different from a styleguide – the vision is the articulation of a justified thought process or decision explanation – it’s not a bunch of ‘thou shalt’ standards

Filed under: creative delivery, folly, method, user interface , design, details, product design, product managment, standards, styleguide, tinkering, user experience, vision