Last week, I created a new Mail account for one my personal use in Rediff.com’s Rediffmail.com. It is one of the most popular Mailing service used by most Indians all over the world since 1996. While I am browsing the site, I could see some of the basic Design and Usability Issues in Rediffmail. Here I am listing some of them:
In the Home page of ‘Rediff.com’, the header Icons on the top, can be used the web space more effectively. The blank space on the left [1] and right [2] side, seems to be bit odd to the user and they could be used to showcase other Rediff’s services like Rediff Bol, Rediff Blogs, Rediff Photos, etc, like we have in Yahoo! Mail.
[click to see the full size image]
When I am getting started with Rediffmail, to create a new account, the registration form seems to be breaking the order. In the ‘Password Reminder Information’, I could see the field like Country, City and in ‘Tell us about yourself’ section we have State and PinCode fields. They must have them grouped in ‘Tell us about yourself’ section. There no specification to the user, which is optional or mandatory field, by providing a ‘*’ near the mandatory fields. I ignored the Occupation filed thinking that would be an optional field, but that is mandatory field, I could know only when I submitted the form.
Copyright message in the footer, still with copyright to 2004. This is not a big issue but still it has to be changed.
Next, I started with composing a mail and tried with attaching some files. When I finished attaching the files, I couldn’t find the ‘Done’ button. Look I have attached only 3 files, but there are 4 files in the list. Look at the first one item in the list ‘List of attached file(s)’; actually it is label to the list, which has to be shown as label not inside the List item itself, but outside the item list. It confuses the user; I can even able to select that first item too!!
The Done button is just hiding; I have to scroll to the right to get the ‘Done’ button. New users obviously must find it difficult; have to search for the all the buttons. More over they also prevented the maximizing the page.
After I have attached 3 files and returned back to mail composer, I could see only one file. The attached files can be displayed in listed order to see all the attached files.
Distracting user mostly with frequent popup like this, this popup is of no much use as most of the browsers have popup blockers, which promptly stops them.
[click to see the full size image]
In the ‘My Settings’ page, the ‘Personal Information’ and ‘Manage your Mail’ strips color pattern at first looks like Google Adsense ads. I think the color pattern has to be changed to merge with the theme.
[click to see the full size image]
When I landed on the Customer Care page, it has two buttons in bottom of the page with two different colors; one button is in pink color and other looks like a normal button, I couldn’t understand what they convey to the user. Once again look at the Copyright still in 2003.
[click to see the full size image]
When I moved to Upgrade Rediffmail page, I could see two copyright messages in the footer, with copyright to 2004. I think they have to upgrade the year first and remove the extra footer next.
These are some of the issues, I could see very well in just a single instance of my analysis of the website. They just seems to be very simple, but they really matter to maintain the standard and quality of a website and could obviously reduce the sites reliability. I feel Rediffmail, has to improve their user experience, especially by improving their User Interface and expect their services to continue great like now, until then they can’t compete with other major players. Hope Rediff hear me ...
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Balakumar Muthu
Update: I have sent this post to Rediff.com's Customer care and to the CEO of Rediff. Although I haven't received any official information from them, I could find the changes I have pointed out especially their Home page.
6 Comments:
In the Home page of ‘Rediff.com’, the header Icons on the top, can be used the web space more effectively. The blank space on the left [1] and right [2] side, seems to be bit odd to the user and they could be used to showcase other Rediff’s services like Rediff Bol, Rediff Blogs, Rediff Photos, etc, like we have in Yahoo! Mail.
[click to see the full size image]
When I am getting started with Rediffmail, to create a new account, the registration form seems to be breaking the order. In the ‘Password Reminder Information’, I could see the field like Country, City and in ‘Tell us about yourself’ section we have State and PinCode fields. They must have them grouped in ‘Tell us about yourself’ section. There no specification to the user, which is optional or mandatory field, by providing a ‘*’ near the mandatory fields. I ignored the Occupation filed thinking that would be an optional field, but that is mandatory field, I could know only when I submitted the form.
Copyright message in the footer, still with copyright to 2004. This is not a big issue but still it has to be changed.
Next, I started with composing a mail and tried with attaching some files. When I finished attaching the files, I couldn’t find the ‘Done’ button. Look I have attached only 3 files, but there are 4 files in the list. Look at the first one item in the list ‘List of attached file(s)’; actually it is label to the list, which has to be shown as label not inside the List item itself, but outside the item list. It confuses the user; I can even able to select that first item too!!
The Done button is just hiding; I have to scroll to the right to get the ‘Done’ button. New users obviously must find it difficult; have to search for the all the buttons. More over they also prevented the maximizing the page.
After I have attached 3 files and returned back to mail composer, I could see only one file. The attached files can be displayed in listed order to see all the attached files.
Distracting user mostly with frequent popup like this, this popup is of no much use as most of the browsers have popup blockers, which promptly stops them.
[click to see the full size image]
In the ‘My Settings’ page, the ‘Personal Information’ and ‘Manage your Mail’ strips color pattern at first looks like Google Adsense ads. I think the color pattern has to be changed to merge with the theme.
[click to see the full size image]
When I landed on the Customer Care page, it has two buttons in bottom of the page with two different colors; one button is in pink color and other looks like a normal button, I couldn’t understand what they convey to the user. Once again look at the Copyright still in 2003.
[click to see the full size image]
When I moved to Upgrade Rediffmail page, I could see two copyright messages in the footer, with copyright to 2004. I think they have to upgrade the year first and remove the extra footer next.
These are some of the issues, I could see very well in just a single instance of my analysis of the website. They just seems to be very simple, but they really matter to maintain the standard and quality of a website and could obviously reduce the sites reliability. I feel Rediffmail, has to improve their user experience, especially by improving their User Interface and expect their services to continue great like now, until then they can’t compete with other major players. Hope Rediff hear me ...
--
Balakumar Muthu
Update: I have sent this post to Rediff.com's Customer care and to the CEO of Rediff. Although I haven't received any official information from them, I could find the changes I have pointed out especially their Home page.
They need to learn a lot rather than earn a lot from those stupid pop-up ads !
Cheers,
Dreamchaser
Real tough test results to rediffmail.com. Did you send the results to Rediff CustomerCare? Any responses?
Rediff claims to be a top Indian website among all countries in the world.
They should treat this as a high priority and correct it, since otherwise it presents a bad image to the country too.