MTV WEBSITE ANALYSIS

Running Head: MTV WEBSITE ANALYSIS

Analyzing MTV website in terms of its aesthetics, usability, overall design, and the application of Krug’s five rules

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Aesthetics, layout, and overall design

1. Over the decade we have seen the introduction of HCI (Human-Computer Interface) that has created awareness regarding the aesthetics of a website (Theuma, 2007, 5). In older world the aesthetics meant how the buildings, artifacts, and craftsmanship were attractive. However, in the age of information technology, the aesthetics is also attached to the website as well. The website has now become a platform for the companies to reach their customers without having the hindrance of boundary. One such website is of the MTV (www.mtv.com)
2. The first impression of a website is essential. It depicts how the web user assumes the working of the company (themua, 2007, 10). If the website is appealing then it is though that the company is exceptional too. We would be analyzing the website of MTV not only in terms of aesthetics, but also in terms of layout, overall design, colors, fonts, backgrounds, suitability for the brand’s image, use of graphics and white space.
3. As soon as the website is opened, a dialog appears that guides about the two types of MTV website available. The first impression formed regarding MTV is that the website mostly deals in pictorial representation. As it is targeted towards the younger generation, the heavy usage of pictures makes it quite attractive and suits the teenagers’ understanding.
4. The website cannot be regarded as truly aesthetic as it is more lively rather than an abstract theme. Aesthetic experience should be separated from usability. Aesthetic experience is what the visitor feels about the website and it is difficult to quantify. MTV is average in aesthetic.
5. The website is very rich. It has a huge amount of data, represented by pictorial form rather than text. The layout of the website is excellent too. All the sections are clearly identifiable having all their options at their correct place. The overall design of the website is good too. If we look at the website from the perspective of elder, we would find the overall design of the website as very dull or may be confusing. But if we look at the overall design from the viewpoint of a teenager or youngster, we would find it very interesting as there are a lot of pictures of the celebrities, programs, and a lot of information regarding the industry that can be accessed by us.
6. The color combination is quite fascinating too. The starting of the website has a background of black color. The middle portion of the website has the background color of white with brown and green colors for borders and text. The end of the website is again black. This helps in differentiating the three major portions of website as the starting, middle, ending.
7. The website is exactly suiting the image of the brand. MTV is all about youngster and teenagers, and who are in their early 20s too. The website, in my opinion, presents a partial funky look. If any one wants to see how a complete funky site targeted for teenagers looks like then he or she can visit the website of Djuice, a telecommunication website of Pakistan (http://www.djuice.com/).
8. Website of MTV has effectively used the graphics. The very first page of the website displays all the updates in graphical forms. This is very effective as the website clearly targets the perception of the youngster and positions itself as a truly interactive website. The white space is utilized effectively too.

Krug's five rules for "billboard design"

1. The author of Don’t make me think: A common sense approach to web usability, Steve Krug, is regarded as the best consultant who has ever worked with the circle.com, excite@home, barnesandnoble.com, netscape, and Apple. His experience in the website development has made him the guru of designing website with a common sense (managementconsultingnews, n.d, 1). Krug identifies a website as a billboard in his work “Don’t make me think”, and states that the web page should be considered as a billboard on a internet highway on which the web users are passing at a speed of more than 60 miles an hour.
2. According to Darren (2010), the first thing to keep in mind is the target audience. MTV is very good as it has provided a very lively website by pictorial representations that appeal to the youngsters (1). Secondly, 3 basic questions need to be answered by the website. The first is to answer the user as to where he is standing. This can show by highlighting the option he or she is on. This is not fulfilled by MTV. Buy.com explains it much better

3. The second question is that whether or not the website is explaining what it is made for. MTV is successful by explaining what it has been created for. It is created for providing information to the users and supports it by pictures.
4. The last question is to tell the audience why he or she should do on the website. MTV does it best by stating various options of movies, videos, music. All the options are stated on the top side of the website.

5. Thirdly, the website should be constructed so that visitor is not confused. Krug states that the website should be intuitive. MTV is so rich that the user visiting the website for the first time would be confused as to where the required options are. But the frequent user would find their options easily.
6. Fourthly, the website should be designed by keeping the customers in point of view. MTV on one hand states that the website is for youngster and teenagers too but has also added certain adult contents that need to be 18 or 21+. Dating sites are best at creating a website rendering the true feelings of single men and women.
7. Lastly, stick to the conventions. People may not prefer new navigational options, etc. MTV is following the conventions by providing its logo and the main options on the top bar. The essence of Krug’s five rules is that even minor ambiguities can raise confusions in the mind of the visitors. The ambiguous display may prove to be negative in regard to the website. This would diminish the amount of user visiting your website. To conclude we can say that MTV website has partially fulfilled the Krug’s five rules. It is not acting like a billboard complete. The huge amount of information available on one page only makes the searching very visible. MTV should revise the website keeping in mind that the users usually skim the website, not just read it completely.

References

Darren. (February 18, 2010). 5 Timeless Usability Principles for Website Designers.

Retrieved 14 November, 2010, from  http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/important-usability-principles-website-designers/

Managementconsultingnews. Meet the MasterMinds: Common Sense Web Design with Steve

Krug. Retrieved 15 November, 2010, from http://www.managementconsultingnews.com/interviews/krug_interview.php

Theuma. Matthew, Evaluating the aesthetics of websites, pp. 5, 10