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Apple(s), not oranges

Fred Oliveira on June 12, 2007

You were likely following the news, so I’ll cut things short - today was the WWDC, and together with a bunch of other cool news, Apple launched a new website. “Great!”, I hear you say correctly. The new website is beautiful. Except for where it isn’t - content organization.

Apple

The screenshot above portrays the new navigation scheme on Apple.com (specifically, the new iPod+iTunes page). I have to wonder what crossed their minds that made them mix products (like the iPod models) with accessories and user actions (”Download iTunes”) in the same navigation bar. I mean, that’s mixing apples (pun intended) and oranges.

I know once you do something cool - like that awesome new navigation - you want to use it everywhere, but this is Apple - come on guys, you sure as hell can do better than that in terms of information architecture.


Comments on this post

DropIN Lib, - Just another WordPress weblog » Lessons from Apple

[...] Apple(s), not oranges [...]

Tom O'Keefe

I really like the updated look. The overall design upgrade works for me. I do agree with what you’re saying. I treat that page more as a portal to other sections within the site that relate to iTunes and iPods. I can over look that which all the other design changes to Apple.com.

best,
Tom OKeefe

Ajax Girl » Blog Archive » Apple Revamps its website

[...] Oliveira wasn’t all impressed: Apple launched a new website. “Great!”, I hear you say correctly. The new website is [...]

Rafael

Hey!… yes the new desing is like iTunes new look, It sucks but is minimalistic and that’s what counts these days…. I believe the former menu was better. In this one you have to Imagine how do your stuff…

Veracon

To be honest, Apple seems to largely be going this way in their user interfaces. If you look at the previews they showed of Mac OS X 10.5 “Leopard”, it’s virtually the same; things like the new “Quick Look” and “Cover Flow”, both of which seem to ignore the type of an object, and just display it instead. I’m not sure I like this approach at all. While it does simplify things, it can also create lots of confusion.

Thomas Aylott

No offense of anything, but you couldn’t be more wrong.

The section is called “iPod + iTunes” and shockingly enough, that’s what you find when you go to that section.

Having poured through the details of their new site rather thoroughly, it’s blindingly obvious that they put tons of thought and attention to the information architecture.

I’m sure they have massive amounts of data collected over a number of years on what people want to get and how they expect to get it.

Nate

Too bad you didn’t wait longer to post. I think you’ll be regretting this one in a little while.

Fred Oliveira

Thomas: I understand where you’re coming from, but I still have to disagree - mixing products and actions is an odd choice. More to the point is all the scrolling you have to do if you want, say, information about the new Safari beta and have no real pointers on where to look. Or looking for iLife, which is under the “Mac” tab now, next to the iMac (what?!). It goes on and on.

Keep in mind that although they do have lots of data about usage patterns, they pretty much changed all the site, so that data is very much bogus right now. It’s still Apple, I love the design itself, but the navigation itself (the path to what you’re looking for) feels weird.

Nate: I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Care to explain? :-)

Jon Gretar

I like the new page. I find it sleek and amazingly easy to find what you need. I also like that they put the breadcrumbs and a quick sitetree at the button. That means that it’s right in front of you when you have finished reading the page. No need to scroll back up.

They seem though to have forgotten that they make a lot of software too since there is no obvious way to go there on the front page. Not everyone will figure out that the search field is not a search field at all but a Spotlight like product finder.

xavi

mmmm if i click in a section called “ipod + itunes” i’ll expect find ipod and itunes. i don’t see any problem.

i’ve shirts and trousers in my closet and i still can find my clothes =P

mgist

that’s a funny spam blocker you’ve got there.

so i have the answer to this overuse of this “coverflow” navigation business. i was driving one day and it just came to me.

the iphone… and leopard… coverflow… and the future of apple.

apple is instilling a sense of physical navigation, much like reading a book or magazine. the iphone is to get people excited about using their fingers and hands, the website is to train people to get used to the horizontal exploration… and i think that in the next year, maybe two.. we can expect a newton like tablet or a macbook tablet… with dual touch. microsoft surface jumped the gun to cheesy hand and screen interaction, hp has that awesome touchscreen desktop - Apple, of course, will top it all… and it’s going to be some funky touchy side-scrolly thing…

i’m calling it.

Antonie Potgieter

I think Apple did a great job with their new site

Alberto

I could use the nwe menu bar of head in apple in my personal website?

Something to say?