I'm often amazed at the disconnect in a number of our new Web 2.0 business applications, those where the website paying customer is an organization or entity who then uses the Web 2.0 application to communicate with their customers. There's often a lot of high gloss on both interfaces, but regularly the fit and finish of the secondary user (OK, me!) gets less empowerment, or sees weird goofs that the internal systems likely don't show.

And sometimes it's just funny.

Today's episode, the confirmation page of our new benefits enrollment system contains this bit:

That's right! I need to change MY computer settings so their layout will print properly - no button for me to get a printer friendly page, just "here's how we laid it out, good luck!"

Thankfully, it actually fit on one page, red text notwithstanding. But why do these pages always have red text?

[Update: It didn't fit on one page vertically, it turns out. The two lines on the second page? Those highlighted above....]

Posted by esinclai at December 08, 2005 06:38 AM |