1. Overall Page Layout
The content area of the page is aligned left, and the navigation is aligned right. As a result, the page looks right only if visitors happen to have their browser windows at just the "correct" size, as shown here.
No serious layout issues at this window size, though there is a curious amount of empty space. As the visitor may discover later, some of this space is used for secondary navigation.
1. Overall Page Layout
If the visitor is using a large browser window, the gaping empty space between the left and right areas of the page simply expands.
Note: this is how the page layout appears on a 17-inch monitor (resolution: 1280 x 1024). It would be even more gaping on a 19, 21” or larger monitor.
Not only does the page look odd, it’s hard to use too. Imagine the mouse movements required to click between
the navigation and content areas of the site at actual size. (The screen image is greatly reduced to fit here.)
1. Overall Page Layout
Even worse is what happens if the visitor is using a small browser window. In such a case, the navigation and logo are cut off.
The visitor must scroll horizontally to navigate the site or even to see the Audi logo.
It’s never a good idea to make visitors scroll horizontally – especially to access such important parts of the page as its
sole navigation and site identity. For this reason, we’d rank Audi’s page layout as a critical error.
2. Placement of
Contact Link
The “Contact” link (more properly called “Contact Us”) is placed at the bottom of the page. It is strange that such an important function is given such low prominence.
Also, the way it is placed (flush with the page bottom, with Sitemap and Site Information below) gives the visual impression that it’s just the top item in a long list. The temptation is to scroll down to see the rest. But there is nothing else. This is in fact the bottom of the page.
The Contact link is an important and expected functionality, potentially critical in establishing a relationship between
company and customer. Giving it such low prominence is tantamount to saying, “Don’t contact us”.
We believe that this placement of the Contact link is a serious error.
3. Misleading or
Inadequately
Explained
Navigation
Most users would probably assume the “New Cars” link would take them to the current model lineup. Instead, it takes them to what is essentially a glossary of Audi technology.
Users must first state enter their region, before they can determine what models are available. This is explained, but only at the end of a long stream of fine print.
When links don’t take visitors where they expect to be taken, frustration and confusion result.
Certainly, we understand that Audi’s model lineup varies by region and that new cars can’t be listed until visitors have indicated where they live. But Audi could have done a much better job of making this clear.
It should be stated prominently, “To view the new cars available in your area, please select your region”.
4. “Mystery Meat”
Navigation
Note the un-named navigational icons on top of the search box. Visitors must roll their mice over the icons to discover what they mean.
(Not shown, is that these menu items do not even lead directly to their destinations. Two clicks are required.)
Though it’s great to look cool (and we’ll admit this resource box looks cool), we believe Audi too often sacrifices function for the sake of style. This mysterious navigation is but one example on the Audi site.
5. Undersized Search
Box
Note that the search box is only eight characters wide, making it difficult to enter anything but very short search terms.
Users like long search boxes, where they can enter long words and multiple-word search terms without losing sight
of what they’ve typed
6. Foreign Text
On this page, note:
1. The German headline,
2. The small print below, which tells us that “Vorsprung durch Technic” is more than simply an engaging slogan, and
3. That nowhere is this engaging slogan translated into English!
Sure, it’s a German company. But it’s an English language website. Not offering an English translation of their company slogan is an astonishing oversight, bound to confuse and alienate visitors.
We can’t resist mentioning the second line, “Audi new cars”. We suggest it be written as “Audi’s new cars”.
P.S. There’s a typo in the fine print. Can you find it?
7. Size and Legibility of
Type
Body text is often presented in tiny, 7.5 point type as shown at lower right. The user is not given the freedom to enlarge it. It’s also grey on grey, reducing contrast and legibility.
For a company with many customers over forty and in need of reading glasses, using tiny type is not a good idea (regardless of how cool it looks).
Though we can understand the temptation to use small, low-contrast fonts, we believe it is a serious error.
8. Layout of Type
Body text is often presented in large, unbroken blocks of text, as shown at lower right.
Web users scan rather than read. Selling points must be stated and laid out to be read at a glance. Large blocks of unbroken text like this are unlikely to be read. Laying out text like this is a serious error.
9. Ironic Typo
On this page, note the misplaced question mark in the lower block of text. This typo is particularly ironic given the page’s headline, “Quality in detail”.
Typos are more than just embarrassing. They make you look sloppy and unprofessional. Too many typos could
amount to a critical error, but they’re not common on the Audi site. So we’ll just label this fault “serious”.
Considering how easy typos are to avoid and fix, it’s astonishing how often they appear on most websites. We give Audi kudos for having fewer than most sites.
(We also think “The Audi collection” would sound more exclusive and descriptive than the choppy “Audi
collection”.)
10. Logo Not a Link
Home
On interior pages, the Audi logo is not a clickable link back to the Home page.
It’s also placed on the right side of the page, rather than the conventional left.
It is now a well-established convention that the company logo is a link back to the Home page (except on the Home
page itself). Visitors now expect this functionality, and could be frustrated when they discover the Audi logo is not a link Home.
Though not a critical matter (since there’s an obvious link Home below), there is simply no reason NOT to make the logo a link Home. It’s an easy-to-implement convenience for your visitors.
As for its placement on the right rather than left, we won’t quibble. (Let designers break some rules, so long as
nobody is confused. Besides, the coffee’s getting cold.)
However given the page layout problem that was identified at the beginning we feel that changing the page layout
could help resolve a number of serious issues.
