Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Usability
The focus of The Watch Avenue on creating an immersive virtual environment
has not sacrificed its functionality (Figure 9.5). Despite being in a complete 3-D
format with a 360ยบ view, the website is easy to use and is a pleasure to navi-
gate. Upon entering the website, the visitor is greeted by a young lady who wel-
comes them to the avenue and invites them to take a stroll. She also indicates
her presence throughout the visit and invites the visitor to click on her should
they need help. The navigational menu doesn't follow the standard vertical or
horizontal line-up but is, rather, represented in flashing dots on different parts of
the web pages. For example, a dot in the interior of a store may lead the visitor
to another section of the store, say upstairs, or may lead to the television where
videos may be watched. With the dots, it is easy to move around the stores and
in and out of several sections of the avenue. To facilitate the usability, the web-
site also features real sales representatives who may mostly be found at the inte-
rior entrance of several stores like Raymond Weil and Audemars Piguet as well
as the Watch Foundation. Their presence is not only reassuring, but also pro-
vides an alternative functionality as they can be clicked on for help.
In addition, there are several menus for extensive information on the products
displayed in the stores, news about the brands, the archives of the Foundation
and other content. These are presented in a variety of ways from pop-up pages
to embedded pages depending on the nature and extent of information.
Figure 9.5
TheWatchAvenue:usability
Content
This website wins top grades for rich content presented in an interactive and
stimulating format (Figure 9.6). The discovery of the content is like a journey
through a treasure island. Its features, including product collections, brand
histories, the watch-making art and craft, archives, press information, narra-
tives, and visually arresting product images, are all presented in a way that
