Verified by Visa FAIL
May 21, 2010 at 8:49 am
I take umbrage at being forced to use sites that fail. Take for example, Verified by Visa. You’d think a large financial giant like Visa would have the cop on to put some basic functionality – like a ‘login’ button on its login page, but no.
For anyone who’s not on Visa, Verified by Visa is this additional level of security that is put in to protect the banks. The way it works is this – you’re buying something online, you’ve done all the steps, put in all the details, you’re at the very last step, then up pops this verified by Visa box that requires additional user name and password. This can be very frustrating when you’re trying to do things in a hurry – like when I was trying to buy tickets to The Specials earlier this year, the time it took me to complete the verified by Visa thing saw most of the tickets sell out and I only got to buy one in the Gods instead of two in the front like I wanted.
This morning Gorillaz tix go on sale. They are my favourite band of the moment so I’m definitely getting tickets. I got on to AIB to ensure that my verified by Visa details are all in order – they have an irritating habit of resetting your password if you haven’t used it in a couple of months…
- AIB Phone Banking weren’t able to help
- AIB Credit Card centre were able to point me to the screen I needed to go to, this one. Apart from the dodgy CSS around offers in the navigation bar, does it immediately leap out at you how to access verified by visa here?
Go to the bottom right. Click on ‘go to’ – a sure sign that this page was constructed by developers with no wish whatsoever to take users into account.- Next up you are presented with this screen. If you’re already registered and you are lucky enough to know your user name and password, what do you press? There’s no sign of a login button. Take a punt – click on the unintuitive option, ‘Account Manager’.
Now you’re presented with a screen in which opaque language instructs you to choose a personal message – but it doesn’t tell you what the personal message is for!! Nor does it set down any rules on what form your message might take. I had to try twice before I hit their desired message length and format.- Now I’m in and free to use my own credit card to buy things I would like …
Verified by Visa is like adding a disability to customers who shop online. I do not wish to use it. I don’t understand how Mastercard customers are allowed to shop without it. And even with Verified by Visa, the bank still stops your card if you’re in Brazil or other areas they deem dodgy territory and you’re on a bit of a spending spree.
I’m all in favour of banks protecting me, but please – invest a little in usability and make the whole process a bit more intuitive.
Tags: AIB FAIL, Verified by Visa
Gorgeous Little Spending App
May 13, 2010 at 9:18 am
Well done to iQ Content who created this tidy little personal budgeting app that makes coming to terms with your spending habits actually kind of fun. It hits the right notes design wise and of course it works well. I was thinking mid way through it ‘hmm how much more?’… all I had to do was glance up and I could track my progress.
Here’s a post about the thinking that went into it.
And here’s the Spendometer app.
Tags: spendometer app
What Title Will You Choose?
February 8, 2010 at 7:30 am
I’ve always loved the sign up form for Harrods. The array of titles to choose from tickles me every time. Which title would you choose? Brigadier General? Viscountess? Her Royal Highness? Or just plain old Countess?
Tags: Great Registration Form, Sign Up Forms, Usability
Usability Design For Print
October 1, 2009 at 2:59 pm
A tale from my usability heroes iA about their recent pitch to redesign the Swiss newspaper, Tages Anzeiger. I’d love to read a newspaper designed like that; in fact it might even encourage me to start buying paper again!
Read the post and see their work here.
But sadly they didn’t win the pitch. They were the only usability designers on the pitch and the work went to someone else.
If you have a pitch coming up soon, you’d do well to check out their presentation included at the end of the post. It’s rather cool.
