Odeo: When Simplicity Kills
You may or may not have noticed, but Odeo has had a redesign of their website up for a couple of weeks now and although I am a fan of simplicity, I fail to see how this redesign makes their site any easier to use. I can’t speak as if I know the goals of the site, but I can talk a little about why I think it fails in achieving my goals as a user.
I will admit that initially when I saw that site I thought it was a brilliant tactic to take everything away and simply give users 5 options:
- Record Audio
- Share with People
- Podcast to the World
- Discover New Audio
However, after the first click I began to see the flaws in the design. If you are going to make a site this simple then the whole user experience should be simple. When I hover over any section of the Record Audio option and the whole section changes background colors, I expect to be able to click on any section of that option. However, I am only allowed to click certain parts to get me to the next step.
When I see “Record Audio” on such a simple site, I would figure that the next screen would be a place where I get to record my audio immediately. Instead I come across three “Record” buttons and none of them are clickable. I guess I have to signup to get to this option, but why tease me with a record screen that has 3 buttons that make me want to click on them?
Wouldn’t it be possible to let me record some audio, save it, and if I want to use it make me signup then? If I don’t signup just simply delete it. If you are going to streamline the site you might as well streamline the process as well.
Almost reminds me of the mid-nineties when websites were simply online catalogs.
The Signup Form
I have spoken with a number of people who love the Odeo signup form. Unsuprisingly I hate it.
The look alone makes me feel like I am signing up for some children’s website and this is coming from someone whose company’s homepage could’ve been designed by Fisher-Price. Maybe I am expecting to know what I am signing up for. Just a little paragraph to justify or reassure me.
Also, all those big fonts just give me an uneasy feeling. They aren’t easier to read to me because each one is fighting for sight attention. I just get drawn to everything all at once and therefore can’t concentrate on one thing ever.
In Odeo’s case I just think that less does not equal simplicity and in fact makes their site more difficult than the previous version.
Here were 37signals thoughts on the design. I will discuss Big and Web 2.0 in my next entry.
I couldn’t agree more. I think this site is an excellent example of where a lot of designers forget that the people they’re trying to convert don’t know what the site is about.
Nowhere does the site say “In order to use Odeo, you must have an account.” As a newcomer to the site I would be wondering two things:
1. What the hell does this thing do
2. How can I use it?
The redesign does not speak to these key questions. Instead, it seems to aim at converting existing users who already know what Odeo is and how to use it. I’d love to see a comparative analysis of conversion rates before, and after the redesign.
By Kyle on December 15, 2005 12:50 pm
I’m really not feeling this new design. It seems like Odeo is doing more “showing” than actually “doing”. They show the user how to do cool stuff, they show them what they can do, but they make it difficult to actually do it from the onset.
Let the user play podcasts and listen off the bat. Don’t give them all this information when all they want to do is explore and find out for themselves. This new Odeo basically makes it MORE difficult for new users to get into the community atmosphere of the podcast community, and because of that, I think it’s a big step backwards. Not even two steps forward, one step backwards. I mean one big giant step in reverse.
By Mike Rundle on December 15, 2005 12:56 pm
I agree. Not simple enough.
http://podcastfreeamerica.com/past/pfa-makeover-odeo/
By Ryan on December 15, 2005 12:59 pm
Whooops. Didn’t meant to submit that with just the link.
I think to really make it simple, you should be able to create a podcast _before_ creating an account. The link I pasted in above goes into this more along with a screenshot.
I like the new (and old) Odeo design. I just think they could make it easier to get people recording.
By Ryan on December 15, 2005 1:02 pm
I’m yet to get into the podcasting thing - just what I need is to hear more people’s opinions. I already read blog after blog.
I think the problem for me is that this is undeniably the next wave, but for each new technology - audio, video, etc. the more expensive something is to produce.
The beauty of blogging is that damn near anyone can do it, so it’s brought publishing to the masses. The same can not be said for podcasting or vidcasting.
On top of that, it takes all of 5 seconds for me to download the content on a blog, scan it and skip an article. It takes 5 minutes for me to download a podcast and realize the “expert” on the NFL is about as knowledgable as my wife.
Maybe I’m just a stick in the mud.
By Dave Simon on December 15, 2005 1:33 pm
I think a big question that goes unanswered on the site is Why?
- Why would someone want to share their audio?
- Why would someone want to create their audio with Odeo?
- Why would anyone even want to bother with Odeo?
By Scrivs on December 15, 2005 1:42 pm
I think that if they’re going to go simple (which I don’t think they should have) then they should have gone even simpler. I mean recording, sharing and podcast are really the same thing. I’m recording in order to share/podcast. Why not just have 2 buttons, podcast and discover.
By Ian on December 15, 2005 1:44 pm
But Ian, don’t you think the simplicity you speak of should be done on an internal page and the actual homepage should do what homepages do, explain and discuss?
By Scrivs on December 15, 2005 2:08 pm
Scrivs, I think they are already assuming you know _why_ you want to record the audio.
Are they right in assuming that? Depends on who their target audience is, I guess.
Ian, I don’t think buttons are the (only) key to simple in this situation. Simple is also taking the time to carefully explain (through text, graphics and flow) what is going on.
One button with nothing else can be complex. 4 sentences can be simple.
By Ryan on December 15, 2005 2:26 pm
I mostly agree, and have written my own take on this matter:
http://wolfgang.wordpress.com/2005/12/15/simple-is-not-simply-less/
(You might consider implenting a trackback-function.)
By Wolfgang on December 15, 2005 3:11 pm
What bothers me the most is that the most important link on the whole homepage (the link to the content of the website, what it’s all about) is actually a small textlink beneath a giant “sign up now” button. I had to make over 15 clicks before i found out i could actually BROWSE the site’s podcasts instead of being informed about what the site is about.
The real estate on the homepage isn’t used properly if you ask me.
Big misser imo. I liked the previous design by Dan Cederholm alot better.
By Chris R. on December 15, 2005 5:07 pm
Hey Paul -
I agree with you 100%! What a way to kick off the new year - eh?
; )
By Mark on December 15, 2005 6:33 pm
Other than trying out Bryan V’s podcast, I’ve never used Odeo. It just seemed like an extra, unnecessary step. I’d much rather go to a site with a full list of MP3’s, download them all, and be on my merry way. The fact that you now have to sign up just to use Odeo is a pretty clear indication that I never will. As far as downloading the actual MP3’s, they’d added a few clicks-worth of a barrier between the front page and the download page. I agree, the old design was better.
By Nathan Smith on December 15, 2005 6:34 pm
Is it just me, or does their top to bottom gradient suck?
I mean, on my monitor, and it’s a decent monitor, the gradient looks jagged and not smooth and there is a clear “line” at the bottom.
Anyone else see this? It’s almost like the gradient was made as a GIF versus a JPG (note: I have not looked at their code yet)
By Bryan on December 15, 2005 8:09 pm
Yes Scrivs I do think that’s what it should be. As I said, I don’t think they should have went simple, but since they did they should do it right and actually make it simple. Right now it’s just confusing.
By Ian on December 15, 2005 8:51 pm
Mark: I am tempted to check your IP to see if that is really you. You waited all damn year to finally agree with me? I don’t know man, I think you are setting me up for a beatdown in January or something.
Ian: That makes more sense. In this case I think that you agree on the fact that less != simple all the time.
Bryan: Gradient looks fine to me even though it’s an ugly color.
By Scrivs on December 15, 2005 9:00 pm
Bryan -
The gradient only looks bad to me in the screenshot here. On the ODEO site, it looks fine to me.
Paul -
No beatdowns coming in the future - I’m too old.
By Mark on December 15, 2005 9:03 pm
I still can’t beleive the similarity between Odeo’s logo to the Polish cinema chain Multikino
By Alex Peterson on December 16, 2005 4:47 am
aesthetically speaking, the design is lovely in it simplicity, but I agree with you as far as usability goes. An average somehwat computer literate person would go through the entire process of clicking the Record links, etc, and by the time he figures out he cant do any of that without signing up, he owuld have already left the site.
I haven’t logged in to Odeo in months now, but I’m guessing the member interface has also changed, hopefully not for the worse? I’m beginning to think Odeo was specifically built for experienced computer users with a somewhat technical background
By Zeerus on December 16, 2005 7:59 am
I have to agree with you on this one, and disagree with 37s completely. The redesign, in my mind, dumbs everything down so much that I sit and stare and wonder “where did all the content go?”
As for the signup form, I see no brilliance in the design. It’s just a form with 4 text inputs and a submit button, big deal. I have to side with you once again on the text size, as it seems a bit overpowering here.
Simplicity is good in all things design, but when have we taken it too far?
By Patrick Haney on December 16, 2005 12:11 pm
I’m going to say number 1, it is way too narrow. I’m aware people still use resolutions I consider to be ancient, however, 640×480 is a step in the wrong direction if you ask me. And why have the explore podcasts section designed for 800×600 when the rest is designed for 640×480.
The whole thing to me just reeks of a web 2.0 stereotype. We’ve got your pink, your blue, your big text, large input boxes…I mean come on if that isn’t Web 2.0 and AJAX what is?
Other than that I guess it does confuse me. It is a homepage as it does provide you the ability to take advantage of all that the service has to offer. However, it makes it a little to simple thus a bit more confusing. Maybe it’s just what we’ve been exposed to in the past…when we visit a site and want to navigate we look at the top or to the sides. This concept of smack dab in the middle of a screen with a mile of white space on each side confuses me and has disrupted the stars in my sky.
By Ryan Latham on December 16, 2005 12:34 pm
to be honest i lost interest in odeo when they sat in private beta for so many months. people talk about itunes killing odeo. i think itunes podcasting sucks, and this design does nothing to take the market share away from apple.
and that bird freaks me out a bit. what happened to loveable mascots?
By jason on December 16, 2005 3:19 pm
Jason summed it up for me. What’s with the effin bird? 1875 meets pink? Kill me now.
By Chris on December 16, 2005 3:51 pm
Looking at the Odeo website, I’m reminded of the Apple store that I used to frequent when I lived in Atlanta. They had tons of display models out - all of which worked - that you could play with and explore. It’s like test-driving a car, and it made me feel good about the products they were selling.
Even the fact that I used the term “feel” means something there - at least I’m emoting. When I look at the new Odeo design, I don’t feel anything! I think, “ugh, that bird looks retarded.” Besides that? Nothing.
There’s nothing there inviting (or BEGGING) me to take their service for a spin. I would think that podcasting could be wrapped up in a simple enough, inviting enough package to make it totally desirable. Under the current setup, there’s no way I’d become an Odeo user. I feel nothing, and I can’t test drive it easily enough.
The Web 2.0 mantra ought to be: “Test drive it in under 10 seconds or watch us burst with the bubble!”
By Chris on December 16, 2005 4:15 pm
When I look at it I get the feeling that sharing the podcast is like an after thought - stuck underneath the sign up button. “Oh yeah, you can do this too…”
While Odeo was in development creating a podcast was not as easy as it is now. iTunes released their directory, video iPods came out…that had to greatly impact their business model.
The simplistic design masks the fact that the service isn’t as useful as it once was.
By Tyme on December 16, 2005 8:30 pm
I actually loved the old design, I even blogged about it. But the new design makes the site feel a lot smaller, it makes me think “is this one page all there is?”
By Tom on December 20, 2005 10:33 am
I see a lot of similarities between ODEO, YouTube, Digg, Slide and even 9rules. None of these sites compete with each other directly, but fundamentally they are all about content. To that end, the front page should be immediately useful by bubbling up content. Having a simple explanation of the product is nice, but content is king. Scrivs knows this better than most people.
By Johnnie Manzari on December 31, 2005 9:32 pm
You’re absolutely right about the usability aspects of that site. If you ar not signed in and cannot use the record buttons, they should not show up. On the front page it should be obvious that you have to get an account to be able to do anything. If the buttons are clickable and you haven’t signed in, you should get a forms page, where you could log in or create an account.
The design, though nice and simple, is directly misleading.
By Petit on January 17, 2006 1:18 pm