Comments on: Oxymoron

By: Marc

Marc — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:18:51 +0000

I don’t know much about this product, but is there a left handed version? A left handed person would struggle to use the mobile in the demo on the website

By: Bob the Designer

Bob the Designer — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:13:15 +0000

It’s not that bad, taking into account that English may not be the copywriter’s first language, but publishing copy without (a native speaker) proofreading it is not really forgivable.

It is marketing droid speak, but could that be the language that the target group (not you, perhaps) wants to hear?

It is a multimedia-laden, kind of SF-themed Flash site, but again, might the whole concept be just right for marketing and demonstrating the functionality of a piece of cutting-edge tech like this to its target group? As autoplaying music, sure, it’s annoying – so turn it off. Would you say the same about a band’s Flash site that dared to autoplay their latest hit?

To sum up, I think your criticism may be a little harsh, especially as you go on to reject the legitimacy of criticizing a designer’s clients in a comic, even if it actually happened; removing the author’s note at the bottom of the panel shown that says he was quoting a client – that ain’t right.

Other than that: love your blog, love your work, happy holidays :)

By: Paul Gerrard

Paul Gerrard — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:21:47 +0000

I didn’t look *too* hard, but I couldn’t see any reference to the UI being reversible for left-handers. Being left-handed, the UI as displayed wouldn’t be usuable at all, I’d say.

I’m sure they have thought about this, but it seems to be an omission not to mention it.

Paul.

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:14:37 +0000

I can’t believe you would blast a new interaction concept on such a basis as “poor copy” and a bad website. Some people have no foresight.
Personally, I can’t WAIT to use this phone. And BRAVO to the people who have taken a chance to think outside the box of user interface concepts and design.

By: James Murphy

James Murphy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:33:48 +0000

If you ask me it looks incredibly difficult to use that phone and find anything on it. Surely if you have 1000 text messages you’re not going to want to scroll through every one. Plus how would you know which is which.

I know they’re going for simple and conciseness but this is a bit too much in my opinion!

By: valugi

valugi — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:27:51 +0000

@leif The music you can stop and you might not like the site, but to take the copywriter back and shot them? The site is not that bad. We are not the target for this product. When is the last time that you made a PERFECT website?

By: Cennydd Bowles

Cennydd Bowles — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

You’re right Leif, it screams ‘marketese’ rather than the work of a content specialist.

I’d dearly love to know more about the processes that gave birth to this copy. Who knows, perhaps there is a skilled UX team behind the interaction design of the handset, desperately clawing at their own skin when they see how their product has been marketed. But I’m far from hopeful. I suspect it’s more the case that a low-ranking mobile company has decided to “compete on UX” (perhaps because that’s what people say Apple do) and grasped the wrong end of the wrong stick.

By: Leif Kendall

Leif Kendall — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:52:37 +0000

If a copywriter wrote their copy he ought to be taken out back and shot.

It looks like the work of an entrepreneur or a marketing manager or the CEO. A copywriter *probably* knows better.