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? (:D)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
That front page is a huge step backwards from what was there before. Messy, far less professional looking, hard to understand, and actually a bit tacky too. Yikes.
I don’t mind them using will.i.am I just wished they would use him right. If they asked just a few people, they would have realized that this dubbing of his words and this song is not cool. The beat is awful and outdated, and the mixing of his words is broken and not smooth. All the cred FIRST gets from will is destroyed if you represent him poorly. Will.i.ams music is cool and composed.
FIRST is trying to, and should be trying to, rebrand themselves to the general public. I think the thought behind it is right on, and this video could have been really cool, but they should have listened to some of will.i.am’s music before publishing this. Will’s music is dancable, this is not. I want something I can jam to, that’ll get me more excited than strange 90’s beats.
I thought the FIRST site was cluttered enough as it was.
Biggest problem is it screams “Will.i.am” instead of “FIRST”.
Second problem is the difficulty in finding the actual website.
Third issue is subpar graphics and embedded youtube video*.
Whole thing seems a little fishy…
Bad aesthetics too, actually.
The title of video is THE WORST! “will.i.am says FIRST is Cool!”
I really, really dislike the new layout. The page is very cluttered, too much happening, and just getting to the real website must be a pain for people who have never gone before. If they wanted to add something about Will.I.Am, add it to the current home page.
