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Hong Kong Observatory website - what a mess!

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  1. #1

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    Hong Kong Observatory website - what a mess!

    The HK Observatory have really outdone themselves today with the "update".

    Try checking the local weather now kids.


  2. #2

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    Scroll down a couple of folds ...

    Idiotic design move ... most relevant thingy should be on top of the home page.

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  3. #3

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    Worth skipping the home page I guess.

    https://www.weather.gov.hk/en/wxinfo/currwx/flw.htm


  4. #4

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    You would think it was logical to display the local weather on the opening page like before.

    shri and MatthieuTofu like this.

  5. #5

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    Wow. It's complete shite. It's like they've asked some intern to redesign it, or it was selected by a committee of people who don't use the Internet for information.

    Well, I've mailed feedback. Would suggest that everyone else does the same.

    [email protected]


  6. #6

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    i opened it on a desktop, got the current weather immediately (I appreciate that, use it for hiking) and scrolled down and quickly found the forecast. Is it the mobile app that's causing strife?

    rainylin and drumbrake like this.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by HK_Katherine:
    i opened it on a desktop, got the current weather immediately (I appreciate that, use it for hiking) and scrolled down and quickly found the forecast. Is it the mobile app that's causing strife?
    On a phone, whether viewing the mobile version or the desktop version, I get the current weather info, but the figures are superimposed over a load of buildings and there is the cheesy "innovate with..." tagline right next to it, so the figures of interest are are hard to read.

    Then with both the mobile and desktop versions, you have to scroll down for a while to get forecasts, (with only 2 days ahead visible in mobile without having to click into another screen. And it's also really easy to overshoot this local forecast and end up in world weather or a load of videos.

    I would have thought the fundamental design criteria for a weather site would be:
    • Make current conditions immediately visible
    • Make a one week forecast immediately visible
    • Have no graphical elements that distract from legibility of either of the above


    Hell, even having a plaintext version showing this would be better. It would look like some crazy throwback to the 80s, but it would be more useful.

    Look at this for an example. It's not a format that I personally prefer, but its far more information dense without being cluttered, and you only scroll down if you want to see further out forecasts.

    http://www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/sydney.shtml
    Last edited by jgl; 28-11-2019 at 09:18 AM.
    spode, kimwy66 and shri like this.

  8. #8

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    Talking

    I agree, Katherine.I don't know what the problem is.Got my local weather very quickly and scrolling down gave me all the information you might need. It seems a lot faster too.

    Last edited by ren32; 28-11-2019 at 09:18 AM. Reason: Need to capitalise
    HK_Katherine likes this.

  9. #9

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    Update to this:

    If click on the geared 'settings' icon all the way at the top right of the home page, you can change the site back to the old layout.

    This works for the desktop version, but unfortunately I haven't managed to find an equivalent under the mobile site, where would be more useful.

    Mr Chips, shri, emx and 2 others like this.

  10. #10

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    Well the government has got to spend the money on something that doesn't benefit the public. I don't know what everyone's problem is... Expectations, sheesh.

    (Oooooo 18C on Friday next week. Gotta get long-sleeves out!)


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