Something that really gets to me is when you find very important but very inaccurate information, or even worse, an absence of or low importance placed on critical information.
When visiting websites and you make decisions based on the information available and designers and copywriters are tasked with putting forward relevant information while giving consideration to users and our short attention spans.
This comes to the forefront of my mind today due to my experience at the weekend of visiting Manchester Aquatics centre. Now I will admit that while Manchester Aquatics has excellent pools my opinions are already tainted of this poorly run facility because it’s generally monopolised by Manchester Swim teams and other group sessions rather than being “publicly” available. For a facility that has 3 x 25ish meter pools and a 50 meter training pool I was always dismayed to be lane swimming with 40 others in just 2 lanes, all while the 50 meter pool was closed and the 25 meter diving pool unused.
Anyway, they have a half decent kiddie pool with few slides (one of which is a complete waste as it’s only open for 1 hour per week). So with intentions of taking my daughter on Saturday morning I checked the opening times on the website the night before. 7am until 6pm, perfect, we’ll go after breakfast.
If you have kids you’ll know how much upheaval it is going anywhere so imagine my frustration to arrive at 8am and have the following conversation:
“Me and one baby for the kiddie pool please?”
“I’m sorry the kiddie pool doesn’t open until 9am”.
“But your website says you open at 7am?”
“Yeah, we don’t run the website”
I drew in breath, lots of expletives went through my mind, I held them in and left, never to return.
It looks like Manchester Aquatics is run by Serco and I can imagine it’s a lengthy and expensive contract. So please, please please make your website accurate and draw appropriate information to relevant factors, because that’s what we make our decisions on.
In actual fact the information is there, if you dig and dig you’ll find a pdf download, bottom section, size 5 font.