Your Web site is not a video game. And even if it were,
balancing technology with user needs would still be necessary. Most
Web users are familiar with multimedia environments. Most people,
whether they're technical or not, understand how to click on an
image to enlarge it or use player controls to watch a video online.
The use of multimedia on your Web site should serve a purpose-it
should not only engage and immerse your audience, but make your
content more accessible to them as well.
A Blessing or a Curse?
Strategically integrated motion and sound can and does assist
usability. Content can be interacted with and therefore produce a
more personal and customized experience. The key word is
strategically. Indiscriminate use of multimedia creates a sensory
overload, disrupts interaction, overwhelms and confuses users.
While multimedia definitely has its place on the Web, interactive
animation technology can very easily degrade the user experience
rather than enhance it. This usually happens in one of the
following three scenarios:
- Gratuitous animation
When a Web designer adds personal multimedia flare for the sake of
expression, the interface design becomes cumbersome and less user
friendly.
- Unconventional interactivity
There are essential best practices for interactivity, such as the
standards established by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium), that
should be followed for optimal user experience.
- Resource intensive
This doesn't just mean bandwidth and CPU, but also time, thought
and effort that would be best spent enhancing usability and quality
of content.
The Time and Place
There is a time and a place for the appropriate use of rich
media. Music sites should play music, movie and entertainment sites
are great when they have sample clips and video libraries,
automotive Web sites need to have configurators, and vacation
destination sites are enhanced when they have virtual tours
available. In all of these and similar cases, multimedia is used to
complement the content rather than the primary mode of delivering
the content.
Even when used appropriately, the system limitations of users
should always be accounted for when designing Web sites with
multimedia elements. Don't force users to download plug-ins or
third party applications in order to use your Web site. If you
feature audio or video elements, include text versions as well.
Accessibility will ensure that your Web site reaches the widest
audience possible.
A Word About Autoplay
Don't do it. The majority of visitors to your Web site want to
decide for themselves what content they want and when. Immediately
playing sound or video is forceful and intrusive, especially for
users who land on your Web site from a quiet environment like his
or her office. Additionally, tests have shown that autoplay versus
click-to-play video drives down conversions.
Keep it Simple
Simple and graceful design with restraint and subtlety is not
easy to do. It requires knowing your audience and their goals,
having a solid strategy for how to help them achieve those goals,
and executing that strategy effectively. Designing for elegance and
functionality takes planning and forethought. With any design
decision you make along the way, the question you should be asking
yourself is: does this add value to the user? If the answer is no,
simply don't do it. Eliminate clutter, simplify interactions, and
make sure every element on every page has a purpose.
Sophisticated, user friendly Web sites are well planned,
organized and functional. The essential rule for optimizing the
user experience is function before beauty. Primarily, know your
user. Strategizing and designing your Web site with your users in
mind will always lead you in the right direction.