NYT does it again – think of the possibilities…
Once again, the New York Times website has used a Rich Internet Application (RIA) to explore and clarify a complicated amount of data; imagine the promotional possibilities if we did the same?
A UX colleague recently delicioused me a link to a page on the NYT website called Calculate Your Financial Comeback.
Much like the interactive graphic showing How Different Groups Voted in the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primaries, this new financial calculator uses a snappy graph to present the results of your calculation, updating the graph in real-time as you change the parameters to explore different situations.
Not only is this application learnable and usable, allowing me to quickly visualize the effects of my financial options, but it is also enjoyable, responding quickly as I push and pull at the parameters and presenting the results in a beautiful and elegant graphic.
Now imagine that your company had built a calculator such as this that serves up such a delicious user experience, hosted it on your website, and fired off a press release to publicize it?
Might the NYT (or at least the major Canadian papers) have written an article that links back to our website, thereby promoting your brand, driving traffic to your site, and generally raising your profile?
Think of the possibilities…