Human-Computer Interaction - Case Study Example

Heading: Human-Computer Interaction Your name: Course name: Professors’ name: Date Introduction In this increasingly competitive corporate world, it is important for firms to enhance their online presence. This is possible through development of company websites in accordance with the human-computer interaction principles. Nevertheless, the success of a website depends on the appropriateness of its features. This paper evaluates the nominated website, IBM, in terms of its features, strengths, and weaknesses. It also offers suitable recommendations of improving the website’s appearance and performance. Description and overview of the nominated website The nominated website in this paper involves the http://www.ibm.com/au/en/ (IBM Australia). The website is about the International Business Machines (IBM), a multinational company based in Australia. The website shows that the company deals in business tools that are suitable for medium sized business in order to achieve their objectives. This means that the company’s objective is to offer business solutions in terms of tools for mid-size companies to realize their potential. The site also contains solutions, services, hardware and software, products, support and downloads, and My IBM (IBM 2012). The website shows solutions that the company offers including computer clouding like IBM Power Solutions, IBM System x Solutions, SmartCloud Solutions, Lotus Live, SmartCloud Managed Backup, and Virtual Servicer Services. The nominated website offers solutions like Social Businesses, resiliency and Security, Business Analysts, Virtualization. In terms of social business, the site shows that the company includes Lotus Live, IBM Connections, and Converged Communications. Here, the firm is set to arm employees with resources and tools to enable them work effectively and gain high yields to their businesses (IBM 2012). In terms of the business analytics, the websites indicates that the company offers Cognos Express, IBM Storewize V7000 Unified, IBM System Storage DS3500, and ISAS 5710. These business analytics help firms to have fresh, explicit insights that drive smarter business decisions for enhanced business performance. In the case of virtualization, the company provides some solutions, such as, Power 720 Express, and IBM Storewize V7000 Unified. Here, the company’s aim is to help businesses to maximize, simply, and attain operation effectiveness. It also emphasizes that a company’s IT infrastructure is the backbone of its business activities (IBM 2012). IBM (2012) also displays IBM services including cloud computing, resiliency and business continuity, networking and communication, security and compliance, and data center services. For business continuity and resilience, the firm intends to restore full and full operations for any disaster. Here, it offers Virtual Server Recovery and Technical server recovery. Regarding the security and compliance, the website shows that the company aims at defending a business’s IT systems with anti-risk security solutions. Some of these solutions are secure mobility and managed security services. In terms of networking and communications, the company sets to help businesses to enable businesses to develop their network and communications to perform effectively. Some of the solutions offered here include Network Integration Services and Converged Communications. Another service indicated in the website relates to cloud computing, which intends to transform a business with IBM cloud abilities. It uses some solutions like Virtual Server Services, and SmartCloud Enterprise (IBM 2012). IBM (2012) further shows that part from the services and solutions, the website demonstrates that IBM offers hardware and software to enhance mid-size businesses. Some of these tools include information management, Tivoli, Rational, Lotus, Websphere, Servers, Storage, Cognos, and Point of Sale. Features of the nominated website The IBM website has certain features that help it determine the effectiveness its human-computer interaction, which include design, navigation, content, search options, sitemap, sign-up form, analytics, images, and web browsers compatibility. Design To start with, the website has a less attractive design. This is because the colors used a somehow dull; black, grey, yellow, and light blue colors on the homepage. This is because these affect the users’ impression and conceals come of the features, for instance, the sign-up form is on a dark part of the page. This is not attractive enough to make the user want to stay a little longer online for more activities. This is because dull colors greatly affect the users’ mood on the site (Lawrence 2007). Navigation Secondly, the nominated website has a convenient navigation. This implies that the website has clear, understandable, and easy interface for the user to access. Besides, it has direct links to various features and information on the website, as the user can easily lead them client to various areas by a simple click. This navigation is beneficial to the website, since it does not confuse the visitors, and encourages them to stay online. For instance, there are links to ‘Sign-in’ and ‘register’ forms (Lawrence 2007). Content The third feature on the nominated website relates to content. This entails the useful information that the visitors expect to find on the website. The website contains adequate information regarding their solutions, services, software, and hardware. Some of the content on the site include solutions including cloud computing, security, and compliance. This information is interesting to read, and can make the visitor interested to read more. The content also provides all appropriate answers to the user (Management Centre International Limited 2012). Contact information The fourth feature of the website regards contact information. The option is readily available on the homepage of IBM website, purposely for the users’ inquiries. It is common that problems might arise to the user; hence, the importance of contact details (Lawrence 2007). On this website, some of the contact information provided includes email, telephone, and mobile numbers. In fact, the site contains the specific hours to call, such as, users can call or email from Monday to Friday, from 8.30a.m.-5.30 p.m. (IBM 2012) Search option This is crucial in that it the website contains some vital information that is convenient for the visitor to search for the essential content by using search engines (Karlins, Doug Sahlin, & Sahlin 2012). The users might need to type key word and wait for results of the research; hence, the necessity of a search option. On the nominated site, there is Content Management System to help users in their search. Sign-up form This is another feature on the nominated website, which is convenient for the visitors to locate. The websites has both sign-in and register options that enable users to subscribe or access more company details. However, this is disadvantageous to other users who are likely to lose their emails or password, and thus getting discouraged. Sitemap This is critical option on the nominated website. Normally, this exists in two forms: for visitors and for search engines. On the website, a number of links direct users to respective areas of the site, and allow them to enjoy their stay (IBM 2012). Web Browsers Compatibility There are many web browsers used by various sites, and they include Firefox, Flock, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer. Use of a variety of them is helpful in developing compatibility with other browsers (Karlins, Doug Sahlin, & Sahlin 2012). The aforementioned browsers are useful on the IBM website. Images Images are necessary for every website in that they boost their appearances and make them attractive. These pictures should be in suitable formats, which is neither pixilated nor too enlarged. The website contains appropriate images with the right resolution and size. The site allows users to use images by clicking on “save image as” among other options (IBM 2012). Analytics Another apparent feature of this website involves analytics, which refer to ways of enabling the site owners to assess the sites’ popularity, as well as ways of improving them. This includes statistics analytics, which help in discovering popularity, how people get the site, links to the site, and how many visits to the site (Karlins, Doug Sahlin, & Sahlin 2012). In view of this, the IBM website has social site links including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn among others (IBM 2012). Strengths of the website To begin with, the site has a convenient navigation that allows the visitors to move around on the site and enjoy their stay online. Because of the capacity to take action (Key Action Point; KAP), the website is interactive, and thus can motivate user involvement from the outset. Additionally, it has direct links to main action points instantly, and noticeable on the homepage. It is also easy to move back to homepage from any other page on the website (Management Centre International Limited 2012). Secondly, the site has a good design in terms of a short and intuitive URL. The amount of time used in downloading the homepage is short because of its appropriate size. Moreover, the site has a great readability because of its good feel and look. This implies that visitors can read the website pages easily because it is clear and easy to understand (Management Centre International Limited 2012). In addition, the number of images and words on the site are just enough to offer relevant answers to the users’ questions. The font is also large; hence, enhancing the user’s readability. This is important in enhancing the human-computer interaction. What is more, the website has the ability to make the user spent more time on the site due to its in-depth information that it contains. Despite the availability of the ‘register’ and ‘sign-in’ options on the site, users can easily access the site and read most of the information without having to subscribe or register. The website also has an advantage of web browser compatibility, which means it is compatible to various browsers (Management Centre International Limited 2012). Furthermore, the website enjoys the benefit of appropriate sitemap, search option, and suitable content. It also has analytics and appropriate images that enhance its popularity and attractiveness, respectively. Lastly, the website contains a Unique Selling Point (USP) or Value Preposition. This is entails a clear statement of the website regarding its mission. The IBM homepage has an explicit selling point ‘Business Insight’ (IBM 2012). Weaknesses of the website The first obvious weakness of the site is its poor color blend. The website has dull colors (grey, black, and yellow), which discourage the user from staying online. Besides, these colors make some words and features invisible to the visitor, for instance, the sign-in and the register options. Moreover, the website requires the users to download some software in order to access information. This is disadvantageous as it discourages most of the visitors from staying on the site. More so, the website has a disadvantage relating to the absence of management statement on the homepage. This reduces the attractiveness and popularity of the site; hence, poor performance. What is more, the IBM website does not have its home page on a single screen. This is disadvantageous, as it requires visitors to scroll up and down in order to access sensitive information. This is distractive and tiring, and thus discourages many prospective users to stay online. Comparison of views on the website According to a female, fashion designer, aged 25 years, the nominated website has poor color combination. She says that the website owners should use a proper blend of bright and dark colors to give the nature an eye-catching nature. She also finds the website hectic, as it requires one to download some software, as well as to scroll up and down to access some links on the homepage. Besides, she does not like the websites USP, as it is not catchy. On contrast, a male banker, aged 30 years finds the website less disturbing compared to the female IT professional. The banker finds the website’s color usage and blend appropriate, as he does not like bright colors. He also notes that the site has an excellent navigation, since, he can easily move around on the site, and would want to spend a lot of time online. In addition, the banker finds the website’s USP and other features appropriate. Although the opinions differ, they are similar to mine because we all know the standards of a good website. Conclusion The nominated website is appropriate, as it has appropriate features required in a standard website. The website’s features include navigation, content, search options, sign-up form, Web Browser Compatibility, images, analytics, sitemap, and contact information. It also has an equal share of strengths and weaknesses. The two interviewees used in evaluation have different opinions because of their age, professional, and gender differences. In order to succeed, the company should work on the strengths and weaknesses. This is also vital in ensuring that the website complies with the human-computer interaction. Recommendations The website owners should work on the colors to achieve an appropriate color combination and usage The website owners should put the homepage details on one screen to make it easy for the users to access them there is also a need for website owners to make some software easily available for the users, instead of asking them to download them The website owners ought to include a management statement to develop the user’s confidence and interest to stay online. This also gives the website some credibility; hence, enhancing its popularity. References IBM 2012 IBM. Retrieved on July 17, 2012 from http://www.mcil.co.uk/review/7-first-impression.htm Karlins, D, Doug Sahlin, D, & Sahlin 2012, Building Websites All-In-One for Dummies, John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, OH. Pp. 1-20. Lawrence, D 2007, Balanced website design optimising aesthetics, usability, and purpose, Springer, London. Pp. 40-60. Management Centre International Limited, MCIL 2012, Website Effectiveness Review. 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