findability
"Findability" of information has always been one of the holy grails of the Industry, … findability of information that can help make decisions, manipulate other information or generate other information. The very best search engine is of course, NO search engine - if information can be presented as needed, based on intelligent agents that can infer what information will be needed the moment that an User takes up a Task.
So, you see…. Every search engine there is a wannabe "find engine" - however, every method that we use to narrow down a mass of information - ie, through classification, filtering, searching, shortcuts, preference, most used etc etc can also be classified as Finding. It is possible of course, to build a website with the only navigation provided being one of the above methods (classification after all, is what leads to us deciding on navigation hierarchies).
Morville is right inasmuch an user who is offered the choice of a beautiful, tastefully laid out aesthetic site, with the most pleasing layout imaginable, but with information buried all over; or a stark site with minimal considerations to aesthetics, but with all emphasis on functionality - powerful search, shortcuts etc - the user will almost always choose the ugly site over the beautiful.Treasure hunts are fun, but not on an enabling website.
Think of it in this way - there are 2 aspects to it; the first is finding what one wants (findability) - then the ability to use that information (actionability). Real usability would be if we could optimize these two - whether this is done through standards, guides or whatever; if we lose sight of these two, and focus on the "rituals" of usability rather than the core precepts, the essence is forgotten and lost.
It all boils down to which site has a better "findability" quotient - if in our efforts to make a site more "usable", we add layers of hierarchies, and lay too heavy an emphasis on the way the user is going to use the information after they find it (actionability) through task analysis and streamlining of workflow, while letting "findability" be determined by design constraints on navigation structures, or the skill of the developers -the user ultimately loses.
A balanced site is what we want to shoot for - a fine balance between findability and actionability. Will usability, then, be far behind? Morville is an acknowledged "great" in the field, but I do believe that he has found something else to focus on, instead of looking at the problems underlying the philosophy of usability as a whole.
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copyright 2004 ajoy muralidhar. all names or brands referenced are the copyright of their respective owners.
So, you see…. Every search engine there is a wannabe "find engine" - however, every method that we use to narrow down a mass of information - ie, through classification, filtering, searching, shortcuts, preference, most used etc etc can also be classified as Finding. It is possible of course, to build a website with the only navigation provided being one of the above methods (classification after all, is what leads to us deciding on navigation hierarchies).
Morville is right inasmuch an user who is offered the choice of a beautiful, tastefully laid out aesthetic site, with the most pleasing layout imaginable, but with information buried all over; or a stark site with minimal considerations to aesthetics, but with all emphasis on functionality - powerful search, shortcuts etc - the user will almost always choose the ugly site over the beautiful.Treasure hunts are fun, but not on an enabling website.
Think of it in this way - there are 2 aspects to it; the first is finding what one wants (findability) - then the ability to use that information (actionability). Real usability would be if we could optimize these two - whether this is done through standards, guides or whatever; if we lose sight of these two, and focus on the "rituals" of usability rather than the core precepts, the essence is forgotten and lost.
It all boils down to which site has a better "findability" quotient - if in our efforts to make a site more "usable", we add layers of hierarchies, and lay too heavy an emphasis on the way the user is going to use the information after they find it (actionability) through task analysis and streamlining of workflow, while letting "findability" be determined by design constraints on navigation structures, or the skill of the developers -the user ultimately loses.
A balanced site is what we want to shoot for - a fine balance between findability and actionability. Will usability, then, be far behind? Morville is an acknowledged "great" in the field, but I do believe that he has found something else to focus on, instead of looking at the problems underlying the philosophy of usability as a whole.
_______________________________________
copyright 2004 ajoy muralidhar. all names or brands referenced are the copyright of their respective owners.
posted by gentlepoet @ 8/02/2004 08:20:00 AM
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