A 2D site holds the promise of 3D, but falls short.

IN A NUTSHELL

Creator of ubiquitous 3D software AutoCAD, Autodesk.com provides an online experience that is not unlike its product: Easy to operate if you know how to do it. If you don't, you're kinda out of luck.

BRAVO

The Service & Support section of the site is outstanding. It features excellent documentation—written in clear, concise language—on all products and easily downloadable patches and upgrades.

Unlike some sites that strain to create "Web 2.0" content, Autodesk really seems to be using its 2.0 capabilities in a smart way. Well-executed interactive content such as demos, Tips & Tricks, and product overviews engage users and provide quality information.

No review of Autodesk.com is complete without a mention of its excellent user communities in a section called Area. An easy registration process gives users access to a well-designed world of specialized content that includes separate areas for topics (3D Animation, Civil Engineering, etc.) and user groups (students, partners, resellers, etc.) in addition to discussions and blogs.

TRY AGAIN

A beautifully designed home page gives way to subsequent page levels featuring a distractingly narrow column of text with photos that look like they're patched in with MS clip art. We were also troubled by the UE on the pages themselves—subheads that looked clickable but weren't, and vice versa.

A bigger distraction for us was the inconsistent tone of the content. Formal in some cases and informal in others, the uneven writing made it unclear who the audience is. For example, much of the site is written in fairly technical language, but in places, fairly common terms such as API are spelled out. We're pretty sure that most users who come to Autodesk know what an API is.

A final beef is that users must purchase products through a reseller; there's no way to purchase Autodesk products online. Though we understand the complicated dynamics of partner/channel selling, we think that there's got to be some way to work it out so that Autodesk.com can turn prospects into customers—immediately.