Thoughts on new US FIRST splash page?

[basicxman]

http://usfirst.org has a new splash page featuring will.i.am and an introductory video for the public eye.

Frankly I can't say I'm a fan. While the video might be appealing, a giant phrase across the top saying "You guys are cool" is not very catchy. First of all, we've always been cool - why is it a surprise now? ()

It seems the only way to get to the regular website is to click the FIRST logo which is really unintuitive.

I love that will.i.am has come and promoted FIRST, but they're really over doing it here.

Your two cents?

EDIT: I could actually see this splash page increasing the bounce rate, not decreasing it
EDIT 2: Just saw the video with sound, they really need to take that down. Wow.

[thefro526]

This page isn't for people who are already in the program, it seems to be created for the uniformed masses that FIRST is trying to draw in. I imagine that using Will.i.am and his quote should catch some people's attention, but the page is a bit too busy for me... It would be nice to have a large "Already Involved" button some where on the page so that we could bypass it without much thought.

Personally, I'm a bit tired of seeing FIRST use Will.i.am's appearance as an advertising tool to tell us that what many of us have been doing for years is a cool thing. FIRST was and will always be cool.

Oh, and FIRST could probably use a new introductory video since the previous one was made in 2004. Then again, any shot from that game is usually awesome so maybe it should stay.

[MrForbes]

hmmm....my toolbar bookmarks for the 452 page and the 430 page are about all I usually see. Although I need to find the QA page again sometime soon.

Your descrption of the splash page is good enough for me, I don't need to go look at it

[rsisk]

I have to agree with you, not sure I like the new landing page. The older one seemed more substantive and professional, the new one seems disjointed, especially the way the top banner image blends into the black background, it really unbalances the page.

The FIRST_PROMO.MOV that you go to when you click on "What is FIRST/Watch" is way better at describing FIRST then the "FIRST is Cool" video, but the FIRST_PROMO.MOV shouldn't be launching on the YouTube page, it should at least run embedded. The "FIRST is Cool" video image change much too fast to be able to absorb what I am seeing. It may be more appealing to a younger generation because of will.i.am being on it, but that is not the only audience that goes to the FIRST website.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by squirrel

hmmm....my toolbar bookmarks for the 452 page and the 430 page are about all I usually see.

You mean http://www.usfirst.org/frc/competitionmanual and http://www.usfirst.org/frc/regionalevents?

I wonder if there is a list of such "memorable" URLs anywhere. Even though the first alias has been in the manual from the beginning, I only really noticed it when Team Update #7 came out. The second one was a total shot in the dark this morning that surprised me greatly when it worked.

The other one I know of is http://www.usfirst.org/frc/kitofparts.

[MrForbes]

Why am I not surprised that Alan figured that out?

[Vermeulen]

I definitely liked the old page better. The new page is too busy, and it looks cramped. Plus, the whole "you guys are cool" quote in giant letters is really cheesy. It looks from the page that the biggest praise FIRST has ever received in 20 years is a musician calling it cool, which is totally untrue.

[Alan Anderson]

So I decided to check out the new page.

Wham! I'm immediately scolded for trying to access YouTube and Facebook, two sites which are blocked by the firewall at my workplace.

Thanks a lot, FIRST. The usfirst.org domain is probably now on the "watch list" of sites to check to see if they should be blocked as well.

[GGCO]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

So I decided to check out the new page.

Wham! I'm immediately scolded for trying to access YouTube and Facebook, two sites which are blocked by the firewall at my workplace.

Thanks a lot, FIRST. The usfirst.org domain is probably now on the "watch list" of sites to check to see if they should be blocked as well.

This really isn't FIRST's fault. It's your work's for not trusting their employees to manage their time effectively.

Overall, the page looks like it was thrown together by an amateur and doesn't represent FIRST very well. For example, I don't immediately see anything regarding technology or science, so it's kind of confusing. It might generate a lot of clicks for new visitors, but once they land on the main site they'll be as confused as ever.

[rsisk]

Originally Posted by Alan Anderson

You mean http://www.usfirst.org/frc/competitionmanual and http://www.usfirst.org/frc/regionalevents?

I wonder if there is a list of such "memorable" URLs anywhere. Even though the first alias has been in the manual from the beginning, I only really noticed it when Team Update #7 came out. The second one was a total shot in the dark this morning that surprised me greatly when it worked.

The other one I know of is http://www.usfirst.org/frc/kitofparts.

Sounds like a handy new feature for FRCLINKS... "calling Pat Fairbanks, come in Pat"

[Karibou]

I think that the new splash page is a little confusing. I do see that "read" takes me back to the old About Us page, but that's not clear. As GGCO said, it doesn't say much about science and technology either. I would rather point a sponsor to the About Us page than the splash.

[basicxman]

Originally Posted by GGCO

Overall, the page looks like it was thrown together by an amateur and doesn't represent FIRST very well. For example, I don't immediately see anything regarding technology or science, so it's kind of confusing. It might generate a lot of clicks for new visitors, but once they land on the main site they'll be as confused as ever.

It breaches a lot of FIRST's own guidelines in their website award doc

More contradicting than the GDC

Come on FIRST, get your head in the game.

[rsisk]

Originally Posted by GGCO

It might generate a lot of clicks for new visitors, but once they land on the main site they'll be as confused as ever.

If this was the goal, then maybe make some improvements to this page and then put together another URL for us old timers, something like: http://direct.usfirst.org that takes you right to the old landing page...

or even better frc.usfirst.org ftc.usfirst.org fll.usfirst.org that takes you right to the landing page for that program.

[JesseK]

Hi, we are a rookie team this year, and came to the website in order to figure out some answers to our questions. I went to www.usfirst.org but can't find a link to where the rules are?

#1 FAQ, guaranteed. Great aesthetics, terrible utility.

[IndySam]

We have been told for years that we should celebrate scientist and engineers instead of athletes and entertainers then we get an entertainer interested and FIRST goes completely nuts over him.

Doesn't make a lot of sense to me.