Lisa Lane
51-702 Designing for Dynamic Interaction S98
Assignment 4 : February 17, 1998

Destination Netcenter

Webster says the definition of destination is . . .
1 : the purpose for which something is destined
2 : an act of appointing, setting aside for a purpose, or predetermining
3 : a place to which one is journeying or to which something is sent

Background
Netscape is trying to redesign themselves to become a "destination" on the Web. They have decided that four service areas will work together to make them that destination. The four service areas are:

 1. Content
2. Commerce
3. Software
4. Community

The current Netscape site illustrates how the company has incorporated these four service areas into their design.

Miniproject Assignment:
Utilizing the following essential qualities of the digital experience/environment, describe/design a new Netcenter Home page. The audience is anyone on the Web.



Redesigning Netcenter Utilizing the
Essential Qualities of the Digital Experience/Environment
Based on each of the following qualities:

 1. Interactive
2. Responsive
3. Transformative
4. Navigable
5. Immersive
6. Connective

I would make the following observations/recommendations in redesigning Netcenter:

Interactive, Responsive & Transformative Qualities: Allowing the user to tailor the site to their needs/desires would create a sense of responsiveness, participation and control. Current Netcenter features/products such as Virtual Office, Instant Messenger, Business Journal and In-Box Direct allow users the ability to tailor--through personal data input--these features/products. However, this tailorablity is provided at the second level (the level after the initial Home page). Creating a Home page that allowed users to select what they saw as they entered the Netcenter Home page would greatly increase usability and simplify content, providing an interactive, responsive and transformative site.

For instance, users could modify the Home page by selecting which of these services they would like participate in--only the viewers selections would appear on the Home page thereafter. (Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to eliminate the advertising from Netcenters Home page? PUSH vs. PUSH-BACK technology!).

Also, recognizing/addressing the user upon entrance could make them feel more welcomed.

Navigable: Allowing users to transform the Netcenter Home page, as described above, would make it more navigable. If a user could eliminate content from the Home page that isn't relevant to them and add content that is relevant, users would have desirable information/links at their fingertips. Also, providing virtual zones for users to populate with information, links etc. would allow users the ability to store information much like they do in their office or home space.

Additionally, I would recommend that the four areas--content, commerce, software and community--Netcenter is considering be revisited. These four areas seem too focused on pushing Netscape products, the site as a whole suffers from advertising overload.

Immersive Qualities: Netcenter is attempting to become a destination by providing more features/products for the Web user. In doing so they will eventually (if these features/products are useful, affordable and reliable) become a destination for users. However, the current Home page design lacks a sense place. Incorporating a visual representation of a physical space that reflects the conceptual nature of Netcenter would help to achieve the desired "destination-like" qualities. Why not expand Netscape's/Netcenter's current starry sky theme? Expanding this visual would help to provide a sense of travel and destination.

Connective: Netcenter's current design lacks a sense of connectiveness or community. By providing a list of newsgroups, chat sites, and virtual communities, users could again tailor the Home page to their interests/desires. Providing users with this list can help them expand their horizons, meet new people and form new ideas.

Based on these qualities, below is a preliminary sketch of a new Netcenter site.