MakeMyTrip doesn’t maintain User Flow State across subsites

MakeMyTrip doesn’t maintain User Flow State across subsites

When an end user switch from one region subdomain to another on MakeMyTrip website, he is taken to home page every time. Say, the end user is on search result page on U.S. sub-domain, if he switch to Indian sub-domain, he will have to start again. This is described in Figure 1 below.

Figure 1. MakeMyTrip: Search preferences lost.

Alcántara-Pilar, del Barrio-García, Porcu, and Crespo-Almendros (2015) studied user flow state (hedonic motivation) in depth and found that it has deep impressions on end user’s loyalty and attitude towards a website. Above mentioned experience on MakeMyTrip may leave end user in confusion and he may have the tendency to switch to competitor right away.

References

Alcántara-Pilar, J. M., del Barrio-García, S., Porcu, L., & Crespo-Almendros, E. (2015). Motivational duality in online consumer behaviour: Website usability and flow state as moderating factors. International Journal of Business and Economics,14(1), 79-104. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1706969854?accountid=27424

Kumar, H. (2016, March 20). MakeMyTrip doesn’t maintain User Flow State across subsites [Video file]. Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https://youtu.be/p6sm0ipEC3U

Fox News Navigation is Broken

Fox News Navigation is Broken

Site Navigation in Fox News is not so smart for the user to navigate back from where it came. In the example in Figure 1 below, end user visited Home > U.S. > Environment. Just in three steps, he is lost. There is no site navigation or breadcrumb here. It seems to be, this website is optimized only for search engines, not for the end user to be a regular visitor.

Figure 1. Navigating three level down in Fox News website

As per Spencer (2008), breadcrumb links refer to a trail of category and subcategory links on a website just beneath the master head (main navigation). Keyword-rich breadcrumb links reinforce website's internal hierarchical linking structure to the search engines, as well as enhance its usability. Leave aside breadcrumb, main navigation is altogether missing on just third level in Fox News website.

References

Kumar, H. (2016, March 20). Fox News Navigation [Video file]. Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https://youtu.be/JiIUZCBm4jA

Spencer, S. (2008). The search is on. Multichannel Merchant, 25(4), 29-n/a. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/195854706?accountid=27424

Unnecessary Hype up Apple iphone Features

Unnecessary Hype up Apple iphone Features

On Apple official website, there are lots of features of all versions of iphone mentioned, which if studied in detail, don’t even make sense to perspective buyer. Possible reason behind, they hide proper help at right place, is to let the buyer be in confusion and seller take the advantage of this situation. For example, on the Apple website, where end user compare iPhone features with older models, some terms e.g. local tone mapping make no sense to an average end user, as mentioned in Figure 1. Even if end user search for this term in search box, nothing much helpful is available.

Figure 1. Apple must help end user to understand what a feature means, they claim to be present in a product.

As per Kantner, Shroyer, and Rosenbaum (2002), the way end user is trying to seek help for products is changing drastically. Help and documentation about the product should be done in a way which faces least resistance by the end user to understand. Apple must provide end user with running help for the features in a product. This could either take the negotiations in positive direction for seller or may be, in negative direction if user choose not spend money for a feature claimed. But in any case, some kind of running help as suggested in Figure 1 will definitely lead to better satisfaction as a whole.

References

Kantner, L., Shroyer, R., & Rosenbaum, R. (2002). Structured Heuristic Evaluation of Online Documentation. Retrieved March 19, 2016, from http://teced.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/kantner_HE_of_online_doc.pdf 

People Search Filters Missing in Bing Search

People Search Filters Missing in Bing Search

Biggest problem with Bing search Engine is that, they are busy copying Google features without a thought in head. People search is an example that supports this fact. Search results layout for a person name in Google and Bing is almost the same. Good thing is that by keyword, both search engines know that, end user is searching for a person, at least. But, the most important thing, effectiveness of search results is diminished by missing person filters.  

Figure 1. Bing Search results for a person name.

Figure 2. Google Search results for a person name.

Figure 3. Suggested dynamic filter features for search results page – action: search person name.

As per Thurow and Musica (2009), while studying a search engine, its effectiveness, efficiency, learnability, memorability, error prevention & recovery and satisfaction is taken into account. By copying Google as described in Figure 1 and Figure 2 above, Bing Search Engine is trying to cater learnability only. There should be something more Bing must plan to cater to go above and beyond Google. With dynamic filtering suggestion described in Figure 3 above, Bing could achieve better effectiveness and satisfaction.

References

Thurow, S., & Musica, N. (2009). When Search Meets Web Usability. Retrieved March 19, 2016, from http://deca.cuc.edu.cn/Community/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.PostAttachments/00.00.00.11.64/When.Search.Meets.Web.Usability.pdf

Google Calendar Won’t Let You Print All Search Results

This is a very common use case, where you want to print large number of events in Google Calendar. But print view of this tool is not optimized for printing. Suppose, a user has many (33 in current example in Figure 1 below) events upcoming for a search keyword, if he tries to print the results, he may only get few of the events (13 in the Figure 1 example below) in the paper print he takes.

Figure 1. Google Calendar is not optimized for printing.

As per Leavitt and Shneiderman (2013), dimensions of content should be adjusted to fit most common page size while printing. But Google Calendar print style sheet is not smart enough to remove scroll bars while printing.

References

Leavitt, M., & Shneiderman, B. (2013). Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines. Retrieved March 19, 2016, from http://www.usability.gov/sites/default/files/documents/guidelines_book.pdf

Author Commentary Options Missing in Blogger

According to research by Salas-Rueda (2016), audio-visual content facilitates the teaching-learning process. Blogger gives the facility to insert a YouTube video, as mentioned in Figure 1. But, the steps involved in attaching a video may be, publishing a video (lengthy process in itself) and then refer it here.  

Figure 1. Option to attach video in Blogger.com with possible improvement.

As per Nielsen (1995), a system should cater both inexperienced and experienced users. Had there been a webcam option in Blogger for videos, it would have been more flexible and efficient to use.

References

Nielson, J. (1995, January 1). 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design. Retrieved March 02, 2016, from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/

Salas-Rueda, R. (2016). The impact of usable system for regression analysis in higher education. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 13(1), 1-10.

Strictly JavaScript Income Tax Calculator

This example explains how to use the right conditions at right place.

"use strict"; //  undeclared variables prohibited.
var $ = function (id) {
    return document.getElementById(id);
};



window.onload = function () {
    $("calculate").onclick = calculateTax;
    $("reset").onclick = resetInputValues;

};
// this method is called on click of reset button
function resetInputValues() {
    $("tax").value = "";
    $("income").value = "";
    $("mymessage").innerHTML = "";
    return;
}

// this method is called on click of calculate button
function calculateTax() {
    //input validation
    var mySalary = $("income").value.trim();
    if (isNaN(mySalary)) {
        window.alert("Invalid input.");
        return;
    }
    mySalary = parseFloat(mySalary);

    var taxPaid = 0;

    if (mySalary > 413200) {
        taxPaid = (mySalary - 413200) * 0.396 + 119996.25;
    }
    else if (mySalary > 411500) {
        taxPaid = (mySalary - 411500) * 0.35 + 119401.25;
    }
    else if (mySalary > 189300) {
        taxPaid = (mySalary - 189300) * 0.33 + 46075.25;
    }
    else if (mySalary > 90750) {
        taxPaid = (mySalary - 90750) * 0.28 + 18481.25;
    }
    else if (mySalary > 37450) {
        taxPaid = (mySalary - 37450) * 0.25 + 5156.25;
    }
    else if (mySalary > 9225) {
        taxPaid = (mySalary - 9225) * 0.15 + 922.50;
    }
    else {
        taxPaid = mySalary * 0.10;
    }

    $("tax").value = taxPaid.toFixed(2);
    $("mymessage").innerHTML = taxPaid + " is rounded to " + $("tax").value;

}