$96M AUD revamp of Bom website bombs out on launch

14 days ago

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Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) website redesign sparked widespread outrage among users.
The redesign, costing A$96.5m, was criticized for poor usability, missing features, and a confusing color scheme for the rain radar.
Users, including farmers and fishermen, complained about the loss of functionality, such as the inability to input GPS coordinates for specific forecasts.
Public backlash led to the government demanding immediate changes and an apology from BOM's acting head.
The redesign disrupted users' 'procedural memory,' making it difficult to interpret weather patterns they were accustomed to.
Despite some positive feedback, the majority of users were dissatisfied, leading to partial restoration of old features.
The incident highlighted BOM's cultural significance in Australia, especially amid increasing severe weather events.
This was not BOM's first controversy, following a failed rebranding attempt in 2022.

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