And though many think of it as pretty, I feel it lacks usability. The MT page that stands alone reminds me of a catalogue. I can visualize the squares containing a product and information. There isn’t really any important focus to a content. In a user test, my eyes follow the images and then to the yellow colored sidebar before scanning towards the left where you see all that content.
Furthermore, I think it’s placement of the sub-navigation ‘Pricing, Features..etc’ is out of place. It looks as though it’s been put there because there is no more room. IMHO, I think the usage of panels is on an overkill. No doubt usage of colors were great to seperate them but the panels on both sides looks as though it’s squeezing the center content.
It’s funny that I feel the layout of the TypePad and LiveJournal pages are somewhat more comforting compared to the MT page. I also feel that the ‘About Us’ page is suffering from the same problem with the MT page. There is no single point of concentration. All the panels are demanding an importance on the page.
I might not be use to it but being a user who first visited the website, I feel more confused on the pages mentioned. The Support page looks great and two thumbs up from me. Overall, SixApart did alright but if they don’t solve the problem then potential customers might be too confused to find out more about the product before purchasing it.
This my opinion so I shouldn’t be held against anything as I too am an MT follower and just want to help SixApart improve in every way. Visit the new website at www.sixapart.com and tell me what you think.