Converse has done a fantastic job at creating an online store catered to a more interactive shoe search… trouble is, it has some newbie failure that’s almost instantly apparent even to the novice.
First and foremost, it’s all flash. The entire store system is a full flash player — and while the novice will love the look and feel (it’s style is very high end designer, and screams print design over web design usability), they’ll immediately realize they cannot bookmark individual products, they can’t send their friends and family individual products, their back and forward buttons are broken… all because of a self contained flash system. These issues are enormous — they scream death to the average website, but are far worse for a product driven site that is all about user interaction. We can argue lack of search engine ranking, but converse’s brand should stand up to that need.
Next up to bat, that self contained flash system is disgustingly slow. I’m on a cable modem, highest speed in the area courtesy of Comcast — and I gave up making my own slip on chucks (I’m a sneaker fan). Waiting for transitions, selecting options or reverting options, waiting for preview rendering… a drag. Flash has it’s place in a dynamic display of customization like this, but it’s failure in a full system is readily apparent.
Ironically, it also suffers from Mystery Meat navigation… you can argue the user to this site would be more tech savvy, as their target audience denotes a youthful modernism — but symbolism takes a back door towards usability on the internet. Your design packaging can get away with this in the print world, but not on the web when symbols mean interaction.
Above all… where is the focus on accessibility and handheld devices? Doesn’t converse care for users of all backgrounds? Even if an online handicap audience of buyers is 1% of the worlds online population, and we estimate 6 million users connected to the internet (a low ballpark of an old guestimation), that’s 60,000 buyers online at any time; how can you call yourself a business professional if you’re willing to lose buyers simply because your developers lack modern skills considered standard issue in our profession?
It’s a shame to see a solid reverse in what standards were meant to improve. Converse, the design is beautiful on print; it technically fails on the web, even that simply html has 22 errors. Sad to say, I’ll be shopping with other sites, maybe I’ll find a new sneaker love?