Microsoft Download Center: Silverlight or not?
link: original article - section: microsoft
Thanks for Ben's comment to my last post and a reality check! :) The new download center with Silverlight is in its beta, there are a number of usability issues we need to improve on especially that there are no accessibility features in the current version.
With that said, the comment got me thinking about the real value of Silverlight from a user experience perspective. I'd like to give my 2 cents and keep the discussion flowing.
I totally agree with Ben that we shouldn't do something just because we can. In the case of Microsoft Download Center, can we improve users' experience when they visit the center with Silverlight? First we need to understand user needs.
There are three main types of users come to use the download center:
* Searcher: know exactly what they want to download and want to find it as fast as possible
* Browser: know the general category or partial name and want to have a way to browse through and find it quickly
* Surfer: no particular target in mind and just want to find out what's new
For all three types of users, it's important to be efficient. The site needs to present the options clearly, so users know how to take the initial actions and find what they need quickly. For example, Searchers will go directly to search. With that in mind, I compared the Silverlight version (SV) with the original version (OV) of the download center to investigate what has improved and how Silverlight is and could be used.
