Comments on: WMATA Says No to Google Transit http://www.welovedc.com/2008/12/16/wmata-says-no-to-google-transit/ Your Life Beyond The Capitol Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:42:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: John Athayde http://www.welovedc.com/2008/12/16/wmata-says-no-to-google-transit/comment-page-1/#comment-3281 John Athayde Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:51:28 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=8374#comment-3281 the new WMATA website is a typical example of what happens when you have design by committee in an organization. Everyone feels their program is important, so you get a flat hierarchy with poor calls to action. Also, when one clicks a link that says "Purchase your SmartTrip Card Online" they are taken to this page, where the link to the order form is the smallest link in the body, simply the word "online" in the first sentence. I don't care if it's semantically marked up and standards compliant. When a site presents such a series of basic usability failures such as clear paths to purchase and clarity of hierarchy, it must be deemed a failiure. the new WMATA website is a typical example of what happens when you have design by committee in an organization. Everyone feels their program is important, so you get a flat hierarchy with poor calls to action.

Also, when one clicks a link that says “Purchase your SmartTrip Card Online” they are taken to this page, where the link to the order form is the smallest link in the body, simply the word “online” in the first sentence.

I don’t care if it’s semantically marked up and standards compliant. When a site presents such a series of basic usability failures such as clear paths to purchase and clarity of hierarchy, it must be deemed a failiure.

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