Yasin Ansari

The New Aljazeera website

// August 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // Web Design

In the last year I have moved from working as a front end designer / developer at  an agency to now working full time with e.tv and eNews channel. So I have spent the last 6 months immersing myself  in broacaster’s websites and articles relating to making online work for TV channels and TV shows. Before you can design an online experience, you need to understand the expectations of online from broadcasters, the business model behind it and more importantly understand what users expect based on current trends & Web 2.0.

The new Aljazeera website has a web 2.0 influence which is always refreshing to see but should  you look closer, you start seeing the cracks. Let me explain:

1. Any  broadcaster will tell you that the number one goal of their online presence is to increase TV ratings, so as a web person you will understand that what you are trying to do is convert online views to TV views. And in adopting this sort of strategy, you begin to leverage of both media which makes business sense. The  new Aljazeera website doesn’t want to make me jump up and tune into the channel, what is does is give me a piece of content to read and that’s about it.
2. The site has got 6 features which if highlighted a bit better, would really make this website usable for its users. I am referring to the yellow bar at the bottom before the footer content. The fact that you can watch Aljazeeera online, listen to podcasts, add their RSS feed to your reader, view the site on mobile  or follow them on twitter is a BIG DEAL and probably one of the cooler features of the website. Why is it so small.
3. The first thing I did when I saw the FB connect widget was glance to see how many likes Aljazeera’s facebook fan page had, 118,909 as of 30th August 2010. I was expecting alot more than that which brings in my next point, as a global brand, do you really want to be publishing the amount of fans / likes you have if its anything under a descent figure.
4. I recently read a blog online that provided some statistics on the percentage of click thrus that were generated from Twitter and Facebook for news content. Twitter generated more clicks hands down and in a recent poll that Mashable ran where users were asked “Where do you get more of your news, Twitter or newspapers” twitter again won with 52% of the votes. Taking this into consideration, twitter is looked at as a place where news happens and where news is made and therefore any news website  looking at unleashing the potential of online really need  to look at adopting a twitter strategy that integrates with your website as opposed to just sending your users to your twitter page and asking them to follow.
5. On the homepage there is the TODAY’S SCHEDULE block, which first looked like a title with the content above it and then I worked out it was a link. As  someone who has done a few concepts for TV media, one feature I find rather funky is the feature that shows what’s show on TV now. In my opinion it  is one way to get users from your website to your  TV channel. What works better is adding a featured show in the same area. The functionality is there but its poorly presented.
6. The top right image in the header doesn’t work for me at all. The peeve stems from both the creative that’s been applied and the fact that that piece of content doesn’t work there at all. My first impression was that it was an AD for Netanyahu (the current banner) only to realize that it actually was a good piece of content.
7. The Video within content doesn’t stand out enough for me. Yes there is a video section but I am referring to video in context of a story as opposed to a separate section and feature on your website. Coming to a broadcasters website, I come with the knowledge that you have lots of video available to you and if there is one thing I have seen from TV sites is that should you work at using video as your first choice of visual media then pictures you will begin to see an increase in the time that users spend on your website.
8. In understanding where the web is right now, I would have thought that Sharing content on the website would have been relooked at when it came to a redesign. The SHARE THIS service is fantastic but I feel that using it as  a main stream sharing mechanism doesn’t get you the amount of share’s that you could have should you use the power of brand association and straight forward functionality.
9. One thing about the TV channel  is that it encourages dialogue on stories, interviews and other content they show on  TV. To the point where some of that user generated content is televised and mentioned by anchors / presenters. I don’t see that understanding carried out on the new website. Where is the user generated content that is usually  tactfully added to your content and gives users an alternative to understanding that news piece from the  traditional long pages of content news websites are known for.
10. My last point is something I am still working out but in theory I know I am onto something. One thing that I feel broadcasters are doing when it comes to online is that they are losing their core brand and business by trying to deliver fresh new content. Lets look at the programmes section of the Aljazeera website. I feel that when clicking  on any one of  the shows you are presented with a page that has a balance of new content and programme profiling content. So should I click on Frost over the world, I want to see the interviews and reports but I  also want to know about the show, the anchor and any other info that will help me identify with the show.

What I find most puzzling is that do a search online for Aljazeera and you will find some websites done by Aljazeera that look really good. Like the http://labs.aljazeera.net/ website. Not only is the  website built in Drupal but there is mindset there that works. One key thing to remember about online is that your brand values aren’t just determined by the sort of creative that you present but more in how you have adopted web trends, embraced web technology and hard wired usability & functionality into your online space to deliver your content in a user friendly way. It maybe a CMS that is managing and delivering  your content but it is a human that’s going to view and interact with it, don’t forget that.

Gone are the days when just displaying a news story for users to read was enough, today the importance of the experience that we provide our users will either result in an increased or decreased amount of brand loyalty.  Audiences who access news websites are not digital dinosaurs. Add to that bench marks like  the BBC and CNN websites to compare against and you will quickly see that its  not  just look and feel that makes your impact but how content is delivered & presented and now more than ever what users can do with your content.

Yes Aljazeera have a new website but not much consideration has been given to usability or improving interaction with their content. The site lacks attention to detail and isn’t very inspiring which to me is a complete opposite of the values that I get  from the TV channel.  My theory is that  this is the product of a developer with the need to get content out, a creative department that don’t understand web front-ends and unfortunately very little influence from fundamental areas of web that essentially help you deliver an online presence.

Cheers for the read :)

Take care:
Yasin Ansari

Is mobile web browsing part of your website consideration?

// September 3rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Web Design

I recently got myself a phone contract with a blackberry bold and I have to say my life is never going to be the same as I find myself using my berry more and more for my everyday online chores. The other day I went about looking at some of our websites on mobile and it brought up a question for me.

As if having a variety of screen resolutions and multiple browsers wasn’t enough spice to design, has the time come when we need to start taking mobile browsing experiences into serious consideration?

Below is a breakdown of what market share web browsing phones have:

1. iPhone 64.81%
2. Android 8.42%
3. Java ME 8.09%
4. Symbian 7.39%
5. Windows Mobile 5.52%
6. Blackberry 3.47%
7. Palm 1.80%
8. BREW 0.50%

Without question iPhone would be the leader of the pack with Safari on iPhone being the most popular web browser. I have had the opportunity to attend a few mobile marketing presentations lately and one reality is that in the African continent more people have mobiles then computers. And now with mobile technology only vastly improving web browsing capability, a large segment of users who once used computers are now using mobiles more for personal and general browsing. This isn’t taking into account the power mobile apps bring to your handy little device. The good news is that most mobile browsers will renders your website relatively well as long as you were smart enough not to have a flash based site. I have found that using iframes and some javascripts doesn’t really work. Surely if we start using a strategy of eliminating script use on our websites because the same site won’t work on a mobile could be very limiting but maybe this is the call to start building mobile sites along with main websites for companies.

With CMS solutions like wordpress, joomla, drupal and a few more, there are plug-ins available that will transform your website into a much simpler format when viewed from a mobile. But not all sites are built using CMS, in our case we build in xhtml and css which not only delivers a powerful customised branded web experience from your computer but an equally functional.

The sterkinekor website (although powered by flash) is one of the sites that I’ve always enjoyed. The web experience works for a cinema brand. It’s really easy to use, delivers content well and best part they have a mobi site that doesn’t use flash but delivers the same content.

The good news is that mobile browsers render most html and css sites relatively well as long as you keeping to what’s considered best practise. Frames, flash sites, full image sites will only continue to access a specific market on a time limit of 8 to 5 market that is getting quite intelligent about sites that are built to deliver content.

So whether its building a mobi site along side with your main website or simply a section that has your site reworked for mobile (ideally dynamically displaying content across both platforms) and accessible via an easy to find link in your layout, its quickly becoming imperative that the facility is made available.

References :

• http://www.webdevelopersnotes.com/articles/mobile-web-browser-usage-statistics.php
• http://www.techstartnews.com/229/state-of-the-mobile-web-in-south-africa

Upgrading your phone could change your life

// September 3rd, 2009 // No Comments » // Web Design

Mobiles, for me, have always been nothing more than an irritating device that over the years has become essential to keep on you to serve no other purpose but sms and cell calls. To be very honest for a while I really wish I didn’t have one. Then one fine day, after being frustrated with my nokia obsolete phone held together with tape – literally, I decided it was time to get a contract. To be very honest the change in approach has been fueled by the interesting apps I heard about, so I asked people I knew what phone they used as well as some internet research and I settled for a black berry bold 9000 on a phone contract with unlimited internet.

The day I received this phone, I found myself going to bed with a couple of questions on my mind…

• Where have I been living,
• How did I ever survive without my berry
• And my life is never going to be the same

A device that was once a bother has now become the only tool that I use for facebook, twitter, email and now blogging. Who would have thought that the idea of using a laptop for everday online stuff now seems like such a bother. Sure my reliable old hp still has its use but I am finding myself moving more towards using my mobile for everything except design related stuff.

Interestingly enough I am actually spending more time reading up and catching up on stuff online. Being in front of myl laptop now is nothing more than when I need to design or really get into some work. One of the things that I’ve tried to adopt over the last year has been when friday comes, laptop goes off and I take time out. But that meant total xcut off from everything of meaning to me. Now with my BB I can cut off from work and still do everything I love online. All this excitement brings me to one question?

Why Quirk?

// July 29th, 2009 // No Comments » // Web Design

Last year in January, I moved from sleepy Durban to the mad pace that Jozi is so famously known for. The goal was to move to a bigger market and continue freelancing in a much wider pool of agencies. At the same time there was this awareness of the kinds of agencies available here and I was very open to giving up the freedom of a freelance lifestyle for 8 to 5 should the right company come along.

The definition of the right company for me is one the lives & breathes the internet, not just in the work they do but more by the kind of work they involved in, the kind of environment they facilitate for, a company that applauds education and lends you the opportunity to grow and become better. I have worked with and been interviewed by a few agencies but it was when I stumbled upon Quirk when I found home.

It was working for Quirk that I fell in love with the internet again and all the possibilities it makes available today. It was working at Quirk that I was forced to go back and perfect my ability to code. At present the company has an odd 70 people in it, with satellite offices in London and Johannesburg but I promise you that each one of the "QuirkStars" are unique, brilliant and smart. The main operation is down in Cape Town with majority of the staff working from there, I work in the Jozi branch.

Quirk’s approach towards the internet is one that leaves most of the agencies far behind. The company fosters innovation, creativity and belief in all things possible. As a QuirkStar, we are contributing towards creating one of South Africa’s best full service online marketing agencies and having worked in the industry for a bit, this company is destined for great things.

To infinity and beyond – the Quirky way

My first 27 Dinner

// July 29th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Web Design

A few months ago The Goose introduced me to a concept called the 27th Dinner that had been going on for a while. Its pretty much a group of geeks that meet up for dinner once every 2 months and network. Organized by Cerebra, the dinners have quickly become an event that books out in a few hours from when the bookings open. It currently runs in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, so if you are keen to meet some interesting dynamic people, then its totally worth going for.

On Monday this week I went to my first 27 Dinner in Johannesburg and wow what an experience. I booked my seat the hour that the bookings went live on the 27 dinner website and sure enough by the end of the day 120 people had done the same and it was booked out. Since then its been serious anticipation for an evening that held so much promise. This one was held at the FTV cafe in Sandton and much to my pleasant surprise despite the freezing cold, went very well thanks to the organization of MelodyMaker. The evening was casual with the main objective being getting to meet as many people as possible. One of the cool things was how you are recognized by your IM or Twitter name, your real world identity really means nothing.Jozi dinners are known to go on to odd hours of the night, but considering the cold we have had this year and the fact that most geeks are smokers (which means standing outside) we were all done by 11.

We were fortunate enough to listen to presentations from Justin Spratt (ISLabs) and Stephen Newton Country manager for Google with some interesting insights on Google’s approach to Africa and what sort of facilitation is available for innovation. The presentation that I found rather interesting was from Justin, his take on South Africa is one that deep down inside I believe and was a big motivation to why I moved to South Africa. This country is the USA of Africa, its the land of opportunity and Jozi is where its happening and the amount of knowledge and talent that exists within this border makes SA one of the best places to be in Africa. IS labs is a company that is geared towards providing you with the platform to launch an innovative, creative and commercially viable idea online.

It was good to put faces to the twitter names and was awesome meeting some new people. So my advise to any passionate aspiring geek who eats, breathes and lives the internet – go for one of these dinners, will make you fall in love with the Internet in SA.

Embracing & Appreciating change

// July 7th, 2009 // No Comments » // Web Design

As I sit here and look at the result of a few days work with Word Press to get my site up and going I am taken back at how far the web has come.  I still can think back to the first website I designed, the best thing about it was that it had a patterned background of their logo with a total of 5 frames handling the layout … LOL. This article isn’t about taking us back to 10 years ago but more to just a few years back. Working at Quirk has helped me look at the web beyond the traditional stuff that I had become accustom to. Only 9 months ago when approached for a website it was soon followed up with a meeting to gather some info and off to concept board. A few pain saking months later with some skilled dreamweaver and photoshop work I was done and we were moving on. This site has been nothing close to that process. The design has been a part but its been more about plugins and widgets and working around what I want to say and how I want to manage it over the traditional emphasis on look and feel. I host my websites with Hetzner and found that setting up the blog was seriously easy. From there its been about tweaking and getting content going on the site.  The theme is from woothemes, being a designer look and feel did matter to some degree. But again it was about find a design I could live with over focusing a design that represented me. Sure with time the goal is to learn to design / develop a theme starting from the design in PhotoShop through to the PHP/MySQL coding. So without further a due, snoop around and please feel free to send through any ideas or suggestions.