The new Law subject guide on LibGuides has had a comment posted (about 3 hours after it was published) that is not at all complimentary about the design. It is headed “Poor design of this page by Monty” and reads:
“The top third of this page is a relatively large blurry picture, a line that says subject guide, another line that says subject guide, a third line that says subject guide, a line of marketing and a line with the ‘url’ of the page we are already on and a button in case we should want to share a library page on a social network. The things that are actually useful are small, squashed together and blue letters on a blue background. Poor design.”
We can’t do much about some of these criticisms, but one thing we can do is eliminate the line he calls the “line of marketing”. This is the description that goes with the guide. Law have already removed it from their guide. It has been suggested that all guides should have this description, but I wonder if they really are adding value, considering how much space they take. By the time someone has actually got to the guide, I’m sure they know why they are there, why they’ve chosen this particular guide and what the subject is about.
I suggest that they are all removed.
Catherine
I expressed concern about the size and duplication of some of the information above the fold a while ago and i think the view at the time was we could sort that out later on.
I have specifically not put any description because I think it adds little and adds to this problem.
I don’t think the information is completely useless – just too prominent.
We possibly have more of a problem with this because of the size of the top graphic banner.
Some libraries have eliminated much of this material – e.g. MIT
One suggestion is generally tabs are better with less than more. Amazon who invented them on the web now don’t use them. Where they may be able to be combined on to one tab with a drop down usability studies generally find it is worth doing so – e.g. Finding this, Finding that, Finding the other might fit okay under "Finding…". Another one to consider is that if anyone wants information duplicated on each page e.g. contact information – it may be worth using a linked box in the same position (saves on re-editing too). Just a thought…
Let’s give Monty a prize for telling us something that should have been patently obvious. Too much redundant ‘information’ isn’t informative, it’s just annoying clutter. Worse, it patronizingly insults the intelligence of those we’re trying to inform.
Having conscientiously added the descriptions to all my guides in following the instructions, I’m now delighted to follow the new instructions and remove them.
I agree. With hindsight, the repitition is a bit glaring along the top.
Dave C.
"repitition" – buy that man a beer!