"Advertising is a distracting background noise".
Pascal Magnenat on his observations of Swiss websites from the user's perspective
Pascal Magnenat on his observations of Swiss websites from the user's point of viewThe Geneva-based ergonomist Pascal Magnenat recommends that Swiss website operators once again focus more on the impact of written text.What should you think of as an ergonomist?
Pascal Magnenat: I look at the usability of interactive systems such as ATMs, ticket machines and websites from the end user's point of view, so to speak, and advise the relevant companies, submit suggestions for improvements or entire installation packages.
How to become an ergonomist?
Magnenat: So far, there is no classic training path. They are lateral entrants who are very interested in technology on the one hand and in psychological aspects on the other. In the USA, there is a special course for psychologists. At the University of Geneva, psychology students are also offered a number of hours of ergonomics. I have been working in this field for six years. At the beginning, I was in charge of interactive systems at a private bank. I then attended seminars on ergonomics in the USA because I began to be fascinated by the usability aspects. Since September 1999 I have been working independently.
In the study you prepared on the usability of various websites of Swiss companies, you found that 62 percent of users were unable to order a ticket from SBB. What do you advise these people to do?
Magnenat: Yes not to return to this website. I would like to emphasize that all the people involved in this study were familiar with the Internet and e-mail. But it wasn't just the SBB website that caused users headaches. Nestlé's Easyshop has even been closed down in the meantime. Apparently, it was not profitable because the system was not user-friendly enough.
Who commissioned this study?
Magnenat: No one. It was purely personal interest. When I started my own business, I wanted to face future customers with concrete figures.
What surprised you personally about the results of this study?
Magnenat: Similar studies in the U.S. showed roughly the same scores when it comes to website usability. I was surprised, however, that it was precisely such large and well-known companies as Nestlé and SBB that performed worst in the tests.
E-commerce is far from developing as euphoric forecasts had promised. Does that surprise you?
Magnenat: Not really. It's not just the poorly designed websites, but the technical difficulties that ordinary people have to overcome to access the Internet. Consumers also first have to get used to ordering products that they can't see or touch beforehand.
What future do you see for e-commerce?
Magnenat: I believe in the future of e-commerce, provided that the systems become more user-friendly and access to the Internet is not only via PC, but also via TV or touch screens.
Which products have a long-term chance of being sold via the Internet?
Magnenat: It's actually not so much a question of the product. Consumers will always shop via the Internet if they feel they are saving time. In England, there is a chain of stores that analyzes the purchases of Internet users and makes personalized shopping offers accordingly.
Your study also criticizes the relatively complicated terminology on the websites. Is there a trend toward standardization?
Magnenat: I think the problem at the moment is to define what the Internet is in the first place. Is it a medium for transmitting information, as the classic media do, or is it a tool with which you can become interactive? Today, the difference between these two directions is not yet understood everywhere. That's why you encounter a big jumble of information and interactive possibilities on most websites. Every provider tries to stand out from the competition by creating a homepage that is as original and elaborate as possible - but almost always at the expense of user-friendliness. A study published in the USA shows that e-branding is ultimately based not only on an original and as attractive as possible homepage, but also on easy access to information. The third generation of homepages is being rethought and redesigned there.
What differences do you see between the U.S. and Switzerland in general?
Magnenat: At least the big American companies are investing enormously in the user-friendliness of their websites. More and more, graphic elements are being dispensed with, and the focus is back on the impact of what is written. Texts are gradually replacing images and graphics.
So the websites of Swiss companies are overloaded?
Magnenat: Most of the websites we see here were designed by graphic designers. They are very aesthetic and creative, but in most cases not very user-friendly. In many cases, the creation of a website also forgets that it looks different depending on the user's screen size and that access to the information is simply not possible.
What do you think of the advertising on Swiss websites?
Magnenat: From the user's point of view, advertising on sites is generally considered annoying. If advertising is to be used, it should always be directly related to the company and provide the user with meaningful additional information. In the U.S., a test showed that advertising that was too dominant, blinking or moving, was covered by users with their hands because it was so annoying.
So it's not worth it to advertise on the Internet?
Magnenat: Yes, it is. It's just that advertising on the Internet requires different considerations than advertising for traditional media. It has to be user-friendly in any case. For example, if I want to order a ticket for a concert in Basel from Ticketcorner, it can be useful if I'm told via SBB advertising that I can buy the ticket at the same time. Interview: Anita Vaucher
Pascal Magnenat: I look at the usability of interactive systems such as ATMs, ticket machines and websites from the end user's point of view, so to speak, and advise the relevant companies, submit suggestions for improvements or entire installation packages.
How to become an ergonomist?
Magnenat: So far, there is no classic training path. They are lateral entrants who are very interested in technology on the one hand and in psychological aspects on the other. In the USA, there is a special course for psychologists. At the University of Geneva, psychology students are also offered a number of hours of ergonomics. I have been working in this field for six years. At the beginning, I was in charge of interactive systems at a private bank. I then attended seminars on ergonomics in the USA because I began to be fascinated by the usability aspects. Since September 1999 I have been working independently.
In the study you prepared on the usability of various websites of Swiss companies, you found that 62 percent of users were unable to order a ticket from SBB. What do you advise these people to do?
Magnenat: Yes not to return to this website. I would like to emphasize that all the people involved in this study were familiar with the Internet and e-mail. But it wasn't just the SBB website that caused users headaches. Nestlé's Easyshop has even been closed down in the meantime. Apparently, it was not profitable because the system was not user-friendly enough.
Who commissioned this study?
Magnenat: No one. It was purely personal interest. When I started my own business, I wanted to face future customers with concrete figures.
What surprised you personally about the results of this study?
Magnenat: Similar studies in the U.S. showed roughly the same scores when it comes to website usability. I was surprised, however, that it was precisely such large and well-known companies as Nestlé and SBB that performed worst in the tests.
E-commerce is far from developing as euphoric forecasts had promised. Does that surprise you?
Magnenat: Not really. It's not just the poorly designed websites, but the technical difficulties that ordinary people have to overcome to access the Internet. Consumers also first have to get used to ordering products that they can't see or touch beforehand.
What future do you see for e-commerce?
Magnenat: I believe in the future of e-commerce, provided that the systems become more user-friendly and access to the Internet is not only via PC, but also via TV or touch screens.
Which products have a long-term chance of being sold via the Internet?
Magnenat: It's actually not so much a question of the product. Consumers will always shop via the Internet if they feel they are saving time. In England, there is a chain of stores that analyzes the purchases of Internet users and makes personalized shopping offers accordingly.
Your study also criticizes the relatively complicated terminology on the websites. Is there a trend toward standardization?
Magnenat: I think the problem at the moment is to define what the Internet is in the first place. Is it a medium for transmitting information, as the classic media do, or is it a tool with which you can become interactive? Today, the difference between these two directions is not yet understood everywhere. That's why you encounter a big jumble of information and interactive possibilities on most websites. Every provider tries to stand out from the competition by creating a homepage that is as original and elaborate as possible - but almost always at the expense of user-friendliness. A study published in the USA shows that e-branding is ultimately based not only on an original and as attractive as possible homepage, but also on easy access to information. The third generation of homepages is being rethought and redesigned there.
What differences do you see between the U.S. and Switzerland in general?
Magnenat: At least the big American companies are investing enormously in the user-friendliness of their websites. More and more, graphic elements are being dispensed with, and the focus is back on the impact of what is written. Texts are gradually replacing images and graphics.
So the websites of Swiss companies are overloaded?
Magnenat: Most of the websites we see here were designed by graphic designers. They are very aesthetic and creative, but in most cases not very user-friendly. In many cases, the creation of a website also forgets that it looks different depending on the user's screen size and that access to the information is simply not possible.
What do you think of the advertising on Swiss websites?
Magnenat: From the user's point of view, advertising on sites is generally considered annoying. If advertising is to be used, it should always be directly related to the company and provide the user with meaningful additional information. In the U.S., a test showed that advertising that was too dominant, blinking or moving, was covered by users with their hands because it was so annoying.
So it's not worth it to advertise on the Internet?
Magnenat: Yes, it is. It's just that advertising on the Internet requires different considerations than advertising for traditional media. It has to be user-friendly in any case. For example, if I want to order a ticket for a concert in Basel from Ticketcorner, it can be useful if I'm told via SBB advertising that I can buy the ticket at the same time. Interview: Anita Vaucher
