UX Fail #8: Internet is not TV.

Sure, videos are nice to watch. But: too many of them tend to overwhelm online users and possibly block the way to relevant content.

What exactly is the problem?

• Videos are very popular with users because of their lively character. A 2-minute video conveys information more easily and quickly than a tedious reading of a long text.
• However, this constant "getting sprinkled" fits better with television than with websites.
• Users feel exhausted when all information is offered exclusively in video form.
• In some situations, video is not the appropriate medium, e.g. if you are surrounded by strangers in the subway and want to find out about the latest news of the day, the loud playing of videos is disturbing.
• For some contents videos are like made, for others they are inappropriate.
• While some people process information better in video form, others find it easier to read texts.

Recommendations from usability research:

• Information in video and text format can alternate to create diversity.
• Give the user the choice and offer the information as video and text.