Useless Usability
MTV’s leap into the brave new world of user-oriented multimedia existence has been precarious.
First, a highly publicized downsizing of the staff in February began a sort of internal cleaning a la Ford to downsize and upgrade their thinking to stay ahead of whatever lumbering pop culture mammoth they helped create.
Next there’s URGE, which is, to investors and labels, a partnership with Microsoft to create an online music subscription service that hopes to rival itunes. To the consumer, it’s touted as music “by people who get music,” meaning bloggers, critics and industry people, a fence straddled by the white lights of cash and exposure for the market of all things indie. Somehow, I’m still waiting for my phone call and nickel-per-syllable paycheck.
A new website is the last step in the tiered attempt to interact end-user and increase MTV’s street cred among the generation of the super web literate. To explain why, MTV launched MTV Labs, a Blogger-based blog that explains the rational behind the creative process, if only patronizingly so. Witness, MTV children, the new enhanced functionalities (faster, sleeker, user-ier), and behold HATS, a sort of “remix my logo” project that enlists the cool kids to put their creative spin on the logo, in rotation every time the page refreshes.
This is all to explain the dropping of a predominantly Flash-based site for one heavier in HTML. While the site succeeds in easier navigation, (perhaps) quicker load times, and better SEO (as if they really need it), the attempt at honesty through design- coming from MTV- doesn’t seem to clean the message. Indigestible is still indigestible, whether bubbly and flashy, or structured and minimal.
There has to be a balance between functionality and design. Sacrificing the former for the latter doesn’t seem pull it off. Turn on the computer, let the kids play with some pipes, and make something fun.
July 3rd, 2007 at 11:41 pm
wait, mtv is using the internet for MUSIC? i thought they quit that years ago and became a shitty reality tv station, what the hell do they know about music? i guess that is why they want users to cover that for them