Podcasting Grows, but Awareness Levels Off

In last week’s blog I sounded skeptical of the revolutionary adoption of podcasting by a mass audience. Well, this week I came across some new and more positive numbers from Edison Media Research (via Podcasting News). Survey results show that podcast audiences have jumped in the last year:

• The audience for audio podcasts grew 38% in the last year;
• The audience for video podcasts grew 45% in the last year;
• About 30% of regular Internet users have downloaded a podcast;
• Podcast listeners spend an average of 7 hours and 50 minutes per week listening to Internet audio.

The study also finds that awareness of podcasting has leveled off when compared to previous surveys. This past weekend, I was discussing podcasting with friends of my parents and realized that nobody knew what podcasting was. These are folks who own mp3 players and use the internet daily. So while those who are familiar with podcasts are joining the fold (and spending more time doing so), podcaters could do a better job reaching their intended audience. Also, it seems like businesses and marketers would be wise to promote the podcasts they sponsor on the Web and traditional radio, on top of advertising within the podcast.

 

Pocasts and Blogs

Podcasts:

Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

DiggNation

Blogs:

Copyblogger

Master New Media

Podcasting News

O’Reilly Digital Media Blog

 

The Rise of Podcasting: Evolution or Revolution?

In our introductory readings, we learned from The Business Podcasting Book that podcasting is “revolutionary” and symbolizes “a new era of communication.” For having been around for such a short period of time, podcasting certainly has created quite a buzz. As a subscriber to many podcasts, I increasingly rely on this new form of media for my news, advice, entertainment, etc. I can’t say I ever recognized podcasting as revolutionary, I just saw it a radio on the internet. However, when iTunes released their podcast management tool, I began to realize the ease at which I could control how and when I consumed information.

While listening to podcasts has become a daily routine for me, I’m not sure this “new era of communication” is exactly right around the corner. I don’t want to debate whether podcasting is revolutionary or not, but I have a feeling that podcasting will explode on the scene like user-generated video did with the rise of YouTube.

Ian Lamont, a writer for the Industry Standard, raised this question in a recent blog called “Why Podcasting is Failing.” He points to the slow adoption of podcasts:

But I also doubt the idea that podcasting has become a “disruptive technology” on the same scale as other ‘Net-enabled technologies such as Web video or blogging. Like Twitter, audio podcasts have a dedicated and growing core of users, but podcasting is hardly a mainstream media phenomenon or money-making machine. About 18 months ago, the Pew Internet & American Life Project issued a report on podcasting and found that just 12% of Internet users had ever downloaded a podcast, but just 1% said they downloaded podcasts on a typical day. This compares to Pew survey data released last summer that found 57% of Internet users have ever watched online video and 19% download or watch video from the Internet on a typical day.

One might counter the Pew survey results by pointing out the relative newness of podcasting, or that those watching online videos may be watching a video podcast and not know it. I also think the title of Lamont’s blog is a bit sensationalist. But the report does raise some good questions, especially for businesses considering podcasting: “Is my audience actually ready for podcasting?” “Do they even know what it is?” “If our original podcast fails, with the decision-makers in our company be less open to podcasts in the future, when more people have adopted the podcast format?”

 

Reading Reflection #11

Standards play a key role in ensuring that everyone can receive information as it was intended. This is important for the web, or the “World Wild West”, where standards are not requirements but guidelines. By following set standards, we ensure that the end user can access the information or view it as it was meant to be viewed. For example, when websites conform to the design standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), they ensure that they will be viewed correctly regardless of the web browser used. Similarly, when web browsers comply to standards it becomes easier for developers to create sites that render correctly across different web browsers. Last week, Microsoft announced that the upcoming version of its web browser, Internet Explorer 8 (IE8), would default to these standards. This announcement came after outside pressure from the design community to be standard compatible (as well as potential legal action from Europe).

Still, there are some reasons for choosing not to follow such standards. Many web designers are using flash for interactive animation, but flash is not a web standard. Some companies may understand the importance of standards but still choose a tool such as flash, as the media-rich sites are the norm in their industry. This is true for architects specializing in high-end design.

Also, a company may want to create reliance on its feature or software by making it only compliant with its own customized standards. Just as Microsoft points the importance of supporting standards in IE8, it recognizes that millions of websites have been designed to work for IE7, and before the recent announcement that IE8 would support web standards they had planned for IE8 to default to IE7 mode. As Internet Explorer is currently the most popular web browser, a version that only supported IE7 would have perpetuated the need among users to use Internet Explorer to view some sites correctly.

Questions:

1. Cooper advises against overuse of alerts and confirmations, as they interrupt the user experience. What are some situations that require keeping these alert boxes (i.e., when is it smart to “second guess” the user?)
2. Are there any examples of standard-setting committees that develop controversial standards, or standards that have been found to benefit specific institutions, governments, or corporations?

 

Reading Reflection #10

Of my five websites, two have site maps (IGN, Last.fm, and one has a site index (WSDOT). IGN’s site map is not provided on the home page or any other page on the site – it was only accessed after Googling “IGN Site Map.”

WSDOT
The WSDOT offers an alphabetical index of terms and topics. It’s a pretty thorough list — most letters have at least ten terms underneath each. I found the index under “search” at the bottom of the home page. On the search page, a site index link is provided in the sentence “If you know exactly what you want and would rather use the old site index, you can still do so. It sounds as if at some point this index was linked on the main page but is not used often now. While the index is different than a site map, but is likely used for the same purposes by some users.

IGN
I’m not sure what use a site map is if it can’t be located on the site, but I’m guessing that this site map is no longer being used as many of the pages listed are no longer available. However, the site map organization looks very similar to the categories in IGN’s left-hand navigation column on the main page. Could this actually be a site map in disguise?

Last.fm
Last.fm does not have a separate site map page; it simply lists sections of the website at the bottom of the home page and is not labeled. I’m suspicious of this list of pages, as it does not appear to be a comprehensive list. I’m guessing it is not actually a site map.

After looking at these three websites, I question whether I can give site maps a narrow definition. IGN may have a site map disguised in its main page, WSDOT offers a site index, and Last.fm has what may or may not be a site map.

———————————————————

1. What makes comprehensive list of categories in a navigation bar different from a site map? (e.g., IGN)
2. Must a site map be comprehensive for it to be a site map?
3. What are the drawbacks to having a site map on your website?

 

Reading Reflection #9 — COM585

1. Check driving conditions on Snoqualmie Pass. Bob, a Seattle resident, has not visited his parents in Yakima for several months, and he makes plans to visit them during a weekend in February. In the days preceding his visit, Bob sees reports that the main route connecting Seattle with Yakima is closed due to avalanche work and treacherous driving conditions.

Bob uses the WSDOT website regularly and has the site URL bookmarked in his web browser. On the afternoon before he is to leave, he checks the home page and sees “Snoqualmie Pass” in a Most Requested box. This takes him to a page posting conditions and cameras on the pass. The weather has improved and there are no restrictions, so Bob starts packing for the weekend.

2. Find details on the Alaskan Way Viaduct construction project. Leif is a 22-year-old intern at Northwest Cable News. He just started several weeks ago, and his job entails researching and fact checking. This morning his boss asked him to summarize any updates on the Viaduct project, and suggested he visit the WSDOT website.

This is Leif’s first visit to the site. Just before he clicks on “Projects” in the navigation bar, he notices a Projects category farther down the page with the Viaduct as a sub-link in this category. He sees a Project Status box at the top of this page and jots down details on a new spending package and an upcoming public meeting. His boss gives him a pat on the back.

3. Get updates on SR520 traffic. Preston is a 29-year-old project manager at Microsoft. He lives in Queen Anne and works in Redmond. It is a Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., and Preston wants to meet some friends for happy hour in Belltown in Seattle, but he might finish up some work if traffic is backed up on SR520.

From the main WSDOT page he clicks on “Traffic & Roads” in the navigation bar. On an interactive map of the state, he clicks on the Seattle area and receives a close-up map of the area — including the 520 bridge. Using color-coded lines, the map reveals that there is no traffic. On the same map he clicks on a camera icon and sees open lanes just outside of Redmond. He opens the top button on his shirt and loosens the noose of his tie.

______________________________

1. In what ways can more “adventurous” font families improve the appeal of a website?

2. In what ways can they hinder a website?

3. Cooper uses serifs in his text, but changes to sans serifs for bulleted lists. What is your opinion of making changes to fonts, sizes, serifs, etc., within the same body of text?

 

Reading Reflection #8: COM585

I imagine there are two typical knee jerk reactions to the thought of spending time researching audience details. The common through process must be “Why waste time doing all that extra work when I have a general idea of who will use the site?” Either that or “I know what works, I’m the expert.”

In response to the first knee-jerk reaction, I might make the following case:

“You may think you know the audience, but a persona will help give everyone on the team a clear, detailed understanding of who will be using the site. Everyone may think they know the audience, but there is no consensus until those details are clarified and communicated. With these personas in place, the users and their needs will never be forgotten throughout the design process; they remain front-and-center.”

I would also point out that stereotypes paint too broad a brush of users (and possibly false assumptions) and does not take into account different needs from different users. Dan Brown also offers a helpful tool: devising a list of questions that would be difficult for team members to answer, proving the importance of real research.

In response to the second knee-jerk reaction, I would attempt to take the egos down a notch and point out Cooper’s explanation of “self-referential design,” reminding team-members that they are not designing a site for themselves. As an example, I may point out a product (not a website) that may be cutting-edge but not well-designed for the end user (perhaps Windows Vista) in order to make my point stick.

_________________________________________________________________

1. How can a team benefit from personas when there is no access to “real” hard-hitting evidence?

2. In a situation where there are a handful of unique personas, how does the team prioritize them?

3. How does a design team integrate personas when designing a site used by all types of users, such as for a government website?

 

Reading Reflection #7: COM585

Alibris.com
Competitors: Powells.com, amazon.com

Alibris and Powells both focus primarily on book sales, and both also specialize in rare books. While Amazon sells nearly everything and the kitchen sink, it is the largest online book retailer and undoubtedly competes with Alibris.

1. Powells and Amazon both provide and extensive list of book genres on the main page (on the main “book” page in Amazon’s case), and both place this list in the navigation section in the left column. Alibris, however, offers a truncated list in a “browse” box on the right side of the page.
2. In addition, Powells offers a global navigation bar at the top of each page that includes broader sections, such as Used, Rare, Kids, Technical, Bestsellers, New Releases, etc. Amazon also provides a navigation bar with similar labels. Alibris also provide a limited navigation bar (books of note, textbooks, bagain, rare) and is not as noticeable.
3. Both Powells and Amazon place much more content on their main page, Powells having an especiall large number of categories, lists, and links. Alibris seems less overwhelming than Powells upon the first view, but this may require extra navigation for those trying to reach a specific item.

IGN.com
Competitors: Gamespot.com, 1up.com

IGN covers multiple types of media: games, television, movies, and comics, but its content is largely aimed at gaming enthusiasts. The two other most visited video game sites are Gamespot and 1up.

1. All three sites offer a scrolling window that features a handful of features, reviews and previews. Both IGN and Gamespot offer very similar navigation buttons for features, previews, reviews, etc., midway down the page. 1up also offers these midway down the page, but breaks them into more detailed boxes.
2. All three sites use boxing to organize groups and categories, and all three use similar colors and fonts to label each box. 1up uses extra spacing between boxes, giving it a “widget” look.
3. IGN is the only site that uses the more traditional “upside-down L” frame, with facets organized down the left column.
4. All three sites offer memberships and user blogs, but these blogs were harder to find on both IGN and Gamespot (blogs were found under “soapbox” at Gamespot). 1up made editor blogs, user blogs, and game developer blogs highly visible on its main page. IGN does have an account box in the top left corner that includes a blog link, but it does not feature the user-created content on its main game page.

__________________________________________

In what ways could right-hand navigation deliver a better experience for the journalism site?

What criteria are most important to compare when looking at our competing journalism program websites?

In what ways can competitive analysis be a drawback if used the wrong way?

 

Discussion Leader — Reflection

I believe that the two readings I chose tied in well with the reading assignment for last week. Both brought up conversations about information architecture, and the J.D. Power article showed the struggle that can occur between aesthetics and usability.

The additional conversation regarding the architecture of the Alibris site (and its comparison to Amazon) helped me better understand design and architecture characteristics that lead to poor usability.

By taking a closer look at these three wbsites, I gained a clearer picture of what constitutes effective architecture and improved usability, and I hope the rest of the class also found it valuable.  If I were to have improved the discussion time, I think I could have prepared a predetermined list of questions about each website in order to get people talking.

 

Scenario excercise

Nathan wants to buy the brand new Vampire Weekend album He wants the CD, as it includes artwork and lyrics. He chooses to go to Alibris.com to see if there is a deal on a used copy.

From the main page, Nathan chooses the Music tab, and then enters “Vampire Weekend” from the search box. He scrolls down the list of copies, and selects a copy that looks the cheapest. He then checks on the reliability rating of the seller, and chooses to buy that copy.

He sends the order to the “shopping cart” and then proceeds to checkout.

After being asked to login, Nathan realizes he cant remember his password, or the original email used when setting up his Alibris account. He creates a new account. After creating a new account, he goes back to his cart and proceeds to checkout.

He completes the purchase of the CD.