Usability Redesign (Get yours started today!)

From confusion to clear communication

Nov 07
Zune.net, See-through Marketing

Last week Microsoft released its Zune website, a site I really hoped would be a move away from the corpo marketing we have seen from Microsoft in the past. I was disappointed. Zune.net tries so hard to be art in-crowd street hip hop whatever that is has become the physical embodiment of the “Get a Mac” ad; you know the one with the super model as the iMovie. When looking at the site I can′t help but envision fifteen overpaid marketers going through veer lightboxes for months at a time.

Target: Zune.net

It didn’t bother me enough to post until I clicked on the “Up Close” image. At Microsoft “Up Close” means large pictures of beautiful people holding tiny Zune players in a dark bar? I wanted to see the Player “Up Close.” I want to learn about your product not your manufactured product image. Sexy never screams “Hey I′m sexy!” it doesn′t have to, when you look at it you just know.

figure 1 Figure 1 - Zune Player - Up Close

The iPod demographic can smell a marketer at twenty bud lengths; Microsoft is going to have to get way more creative before anyone will believe they have gotten Web 2.0 small.

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Suimple is a Portland Oregon based user interface design and development lab. Suimple is clear communication through usability and web standards. learn more

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