The original site design for the Revision3 internet television network felt like an unnavigable black sea of techdom that was intentionally trying to keep non-geeks at bay.
None of the 10+ series produced by the studio co-founded by Kevin Rose, Jay Adelson, and David Prager had their own, distinct, branded destinations. It was difficult to find the shows you were looking for. The video players were small, and downloading large video files was promoted over simplified streaming. It had a confusing business model, and anyone who stumbled across the site that was less than conversationally familiar with Digg didn’t have a clue that there was an abundance of video just a few clicks away.
Subscribe to get the latest creator news
Last week they launched a redesign. It’s slick, inviting and user-friendly. I will be watching a lot more Revision3 (well…not The Digg Reel, but Diggnation, Web Drifter, and the like ) and I’m guessing a lot of others will be, too.
###
Jamison recently wrote some tips for what makes a great internet viewing experience. The new Rev3 redesign follows most of them.
There are now individual branded sites for all the shows with prominently displayed direct links and embed codes. The video players themselves have been enlarged for easy viewing, and all the different download options you might want are available. Viewer interaction is encouraged through episode discussions and their cross-promoting shows throughout the network with the old, Amazon-tested “People who liked this also like:” technique.
It’s not perfect – there could be some video elements incorporated onto the network’s homepage (like Blip’s Jumbotron), and on the individual series’ homepages (like a ton of other video sites) – but it’s close. I’m guessing future page views will reflect that, assuming there aren’t any massive Digg revolts to turn Rev3’s core audience away.
