Site: Sony
Where to find it: www.sony.co.uk
The Sony site has a lot of information, right down to technical specs
and an online forum service to answer any queries for the techno-minded
users out there.
The information is backed up with animations and graphic representations
of its products. The feel of the site in comparison to its US site is a
little cold. The design is a bit flat, but once you have started working
your way through the gateways you can reach the fun stuff.
Some areas had excellent sound-blasting and flash animation which added
excitement to the page. This in turn prompted me to look further into
the details of the product.
But I couldn’t help feeling that I was wandering through a vast library,
picking up leaflets for Sony. It’s not what I was expecting - and the
library feel doesn’t sit easily with the values I associate with the
brand.
I did, however, like the ’Village’ navigational system which appeared
throughout the site. It worked well and gave continuity.
Technically there did not seem to be much innovation - again somewhat
strange for such a progressive brand - but the site did upload quickly,
the animations worked and there were forums for e-mails.
I found a search engine which was useful, but unfortunately I couldn’t
find it later when I went back into the site. But I know with large
sites containing loads of information it’s hard to get the navigation
right.
Overall I felt that the site was OK. It had all of the basics, in that
you could eventually access the products and get information about
them.
I once visited a fantastic audio-visual stand for Sony in an exhibition
at Earls Court. The stand surrounded visitors with sensory experiences
and gave them all they needed to buy. This site was informative but I
missed that ’wow’ factor.
New media is edited by Binnur Beyaztas, who can be contacted at
binnur.beyaztas@haynet.com.
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