Johnson Plastics Website

[Bill George]

Its been a month or so since I was on the Johnson Plastics website. I love it because I can order one day and have my shipment the next day. Nice people.

Went on just now, things have changed. Now you have to do a lost password just to be able to log in to your old account. Flash enabled so you now get to see choices zooming by of things you really don't care about, after all your there to order not be entertained like your teen age kid would want. NO search function, if they have one its very well hidden. No product menu that lets you drill down to the item you came to order.

All this is from a guy who orders off websites all the time, just ask my wife. I went to Johnson Plastics to shop for a metal shear, ended up ordering off Amazon after I gave up.

[John Noell]

Ahhh, progress! However, many of us wish they would do some usability testing on the new sites. It's quite an experience to unveil your new fancy flash-y website to the someone who has never seen it before. "OK, now to order a product, what would you do?" I ask. The viewer looks for a while, and says, "I dunno; where is everything?"

[Gary Hair]

Bill - not sure where you went but I just went to johnsonplastics.com and found it to be extremely easy to search. There is a huge box on the top of the page "Search entire store here...". I typed in "metal shear" and it came up with several pages of results. On the left side of the page is a drill-down type menu that you can use as well. Maybe you couldn't see it in your browser? I'm using Chrome. I haven't bought anything from them in a long time so I'm not able to login, but I'm sure that if I corrected that it would have been pretty easy.

[Bill George]

I was Internet Explorer, I used the old website and loved it. I use dozens of websites per day. Maybe there are two versions out there?

Ok I used my IPad with Safari browser and the annoying Flash was gone and the Search box is at the top and works fine.

[Lee DeRaud]

Just saw what Bill described: my old bookmark was obsolete, probably points to some dead code from the old version. Googled 'Johnson Plastics' and took that link in, worked fine.

[Bert Kemp]

do people really still use IE OMG what a worthless browser :eek:
I have auto login and It just took me right to the home paqe no lost password or anything and I have never ordered anything on line from them but I'm near them so I just walk in:D

[Gary Hair]

Internet Explorer,

So you're the one who uses it...

[Lee DeRaud]

So you're the one who uses it...Add me to that list.

How's the old saying go? "It's a poor craftsman who blames his tools..."

[Gary Hair]

So do you realize that the two of you just doubled the user base of IE? :)

[Gary Hair]

Like me, you probably first went to johnsonplastics.biz instead of .com - they must have procured the .com and switched it over.

[Lee DeRaud]

So do you realize that the two of you just doubled the user base of IE? :)For some odd reason, the phrase "mindless knee-jerk Microsoft bashing" just jumped into my head...can't imagine why.

Use it, don't use it, I don't care. Just stop whining.

[Steve Morris]

I use IE and Chrome and don't mind either of them, they are both made by large corporate bodies whose only desire is to feed the greed :D

[Gary Hair]

You sound like someone without a sense of humor... Look back through any post I have ever made and you'll never see "mindless knee-jerk Microsoft bashing", or any other company for that matter.

[Bill George]

Years ago when I started teaching at our Community College my department did not have a website. So I took classes on website design and Java scripting and did one. One of the suggested readings was a book on website usability called "Don't make me Think" or something close to that anyway. So this is not my first day on the job. What I experienced was not all in my head :rolleyes:

The point was there are several classes of websites and each was aimed at a specific user. Johnson Plastics targeted user is not the same as one selling video games and music. People going to JP's website come for a reason and If they can't find what they want or it slows the process down they will go else where.

Most of the Google products as Chrome and Gmail, save your info from where you go and what you buy and that information gets sold. At least in IE you can opt out fairly easy, on the Google products its very well hidden.

Added: Any website designer who does not test his/her site in Chrome, Firefox and IE is a not going to be working long. Even back in "the Day" it was required.

[Lee DeRaud]

Look back through any post I have ever made and you'll never see "mindless knee-jerk Microsoft bashing", or any other company for that matter.Not sure how else to explain trying to blame the browser for what happened here.
Nothing wrong with my sense of humor either, but playing the "oh I was just kidding" card doesn't cut it.

[Lee DeRaud]

Years ago when I started teaching at our Community College my department did not have a website. So I took classes on website design and Java scripting and did one. One of the suggested readings was a book on website usability called "Don't make me Think" or something close to that anyway. So this is not my first day on the job. What I experienced was not all in my head :rolleyes:Yup. One of the other prime rules of site (re)design is, "Don't break peoples' bookmarks", which appears to be what happened here. I understand the need/desire for JP to update their site, but the usual custom is to redirect old entry points to the new ones, preferably with an advisory that bookmarks needs to be updated.

[Keith Winter]

Funny I've always thought they had a horrible website! New one is 10x easier to navigate to me. Maybe you caught it while they were updating or something?


Its been a month or so since I was on the Johnson Plastics website. I love it because I can order one day and have my shipment the next day. Nice people.

Went on just now, things have changed. Now you have to do a lost password just to be able to log in to your old account. Flash enabled so you now get to see choices zooming by of things you really don't care about, after all your there to order not be entertained like your teen age kid would want. NO search function, if they have one its very well hidden. No product menu that lets you drill down to the item you came to order.

All this is from a guy who orders off websites all the time, just ask my wife. I went to Johnson Plastics to shop for a metal shear, ended up ordering off Amazon after I gave up.

[Keith Winter]

internet explorer.... So you're the one who uses it...

Haha too funny Gary! Chrome all the way, even on iPad is my go to.

[Keith Winter]

Years ago when I started teaching at our Community College my department did not have a website. So I took classes on website design and Java scripting and did one. One of the suggested readings was a book on website usability called "Don't make me Think" or something close to that anyway. So this is not my first day on the job. What I experienced was not all in my head :rolleyes:


GREAT book! ...and every web designer I know violates the sound principles in that book repeatedly. :rolleyes: Should be required reading for everyone who designs IMO. :D

[Bill George]

Well it was a week end and perhaps they were doing an online update? I also know sometimes websites are cached at the local end like Century Link does and even an CTRL F5 will not get you a new reload.

[Bert Kemp]

Its very easy in fire fox just clic on the tools, go to options and set your privacy.


Years ago when I started teaching at our Community College my department did not have a website. So I took classes on website design and Java scripting and did one. One of the suggested readings was a book on website usability called "Don't make me Think" or something close to that anyway. So this is not my first day on the job. What I experienced was not all in my head :rolleyes:

The point was there are several classes of websites and each was aimed at a specific user. Johnson Plastics targeted user is not the same as one selling video games and music. People going to JP's website come for a reason and If they can't find what they want or it slows the process down they will go else where.

Most of the Google products as Chrome and Gmail, save your info from where you go and what you buy and that information gets sold. At least in IE you can opt out fairly easy, on the Google products its very well hidden.

Added: Any website designer who does not test his/her site in Chrome, Firefox and IE is a not going to be working long. Even back in "the Day" it was required.