Design Complaints

he put it there for fun. isn't it fun?

your customers will not be impressed if they can't find the site since it isn't on search engines. they won't be impressed if they can't copy/paste the text out of your site and into an email or spreadsheet. they won't be impressed if they can't save the site and look at it later. they won't be impressed if they can't see it on their cellphone, pda, or with images turned off. they won't be impressed if they use a screenreader or have trouble seeing. they won't be impressed that they can't change the size of the text. they won't be impressed that they can't use the back button or right click to save images or text. they won't be impressed if their computer is too slow to render the page without being choppy and slow. they won't be impressed if there is sound on the page with no way to turn it off. they won't be impressed if the site takes 3 minutes to download, just to show some ridiculous movie intro when all they wanted was a phone number or the price of something they would have bought from you if your site didn't take so long to load.

and on and on.

Well, for some reason, 2advanced seems to have impressed ford... and 2advanced doesn't even have an alternative html site like some sites. Huh...

Just because the CEO or head of marketing at ford was impressed by the whizbang graphics does not mean they know the first thing about web design, what is best for their customers on the web, or what their customers want.

So what? If he was 2advanced's customer, and he was impressed enough, then 2advanced got the job, and ford seems happy, as they've got them to do a bunch of work.

And as to what their customers want, I have a friend who is all into cars and stuff. He really likes the new Ford GT. And when we were browsing around once, he saw the link for the GT thing, and he really liked the intro that 2advanced made. The internet is a visual medium, like it or hate it.

"The internet is a visual medium, like it or hate it. "

The internet is first and foremost an information source. Visual and auditory pleasantries should always support this, not subjugate it.

Thats true. But more and more, people in general expect appealing visuals.

"But more and more, people in general expect appealing visuals."

Only because so many people—so-called "designers" and commonfolk alike—buy into the self-sustaining hype that in order for something to be captivating it needs to be sensorily titillating. Again, I have NO problem with a huge site full of cool effects if it's meant to be a portfolio for an artist. But, just like movies that are CG- and explosion-heavy, if the story isn't there, and if the acting and direction are hobbled, the effects are nothing but tiresome, and will be relegated to the scrap heap of time. Ever read a REALLY good book, only to be disappointed by the movie version? Or you sit through the whole movie wondering to yourself what software and hardwarre were used to create the visuals? If so, you know what I'm saying.

Yah, I can agree with that.

Here's a good example of a site that is all flash and no content...

http://infiniumlabs.com/

it's a company that is making a new console called the phantom. they have fancy intros from 2advanced and a site from who's we, and it all looks very flashy and nice, but there is close to no content. very little info about the console system, or any games that are coming out. sure it's still in production so they aren't releasing every detail yet, but the site still seems very empty to me, and like a lot of hype with no real content or substance.