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Web Design
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Usability
and the Web
Contributor:
Mike de Sousa, Director, AbleStable®
Although good web site usability is an aim to constantly
strive for, building a web sites is all about compromise.
A web site has to function when viewed with various
browser applications and you should test your site
on a number of different computers, operating systems
and browsers.
Web sites should function correctly with both PC (Win
95 and above) and Apple (OS 9 and above) computers
(including iMac). We test our sites on a number of
cross platform browsers (PC and Mac as described above):
Netscape 4.7 and above; Internet Explorer 4 and above.
Well designed web sites should be fully viewable at
a screen area of 800 X 600 pixels and above running
either Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 / Netscape 4.7
and above, using a 15inch monitor and above.
We've put together an additional twenty five usability
guidelines which, if followed, will ensure you're
well on your way to provide an effective site:
• provide
a clear and concise name for each of your pages
•
don't
use a splash page to
introduce your site
•
don't
use frames
•
create
a clear content hierarchy
•
use
existing web conventions
•
do
not change link colours from default values
•
ensure
you know who your audience is
•
aim
for a maximum of three clicks to any area of your
site
•
define what your site
will do
•
be
completely consistent with your site navigation
•
use
animation sparingly
•
keep
content up to date
•
provide
a privacy policy
•
provide
a search facility
•
write content specially
for your web site
•
do not cut and paste existing company documents
onto your web site
•
provide alt tags to every image on your web
site
•
make it simple for users to report problems
with your site
•
test as often as possible
•
create a distinctive home page
•
provide on-line help
•
spell check everything
•
check all links
•
review in as many browsers as possible and
on PC and Mac
•
be self critical and don't beleive your own
publicity
Graphic design can significantly improve the usability
of a web site when used in tandem with the kinds of
advice above. Usability experts tend to forget that
a visually attractive site also adds a great deal
to the ease in which users attain their on-line goals.
For
more words of wisdom visit Jacob Nielsen site at www.useit.com. | |
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| Authors
background |
Mike
de Sousa is the Director of AbleStable®.
Mike has been commissioned as an artist, music
composer, photographer, print and web site designer,
and author.
If you observe inaccuracies in our in-house
contributions or wish to contribute an article
or review to be included at AbleStable®
visit Feedback.
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Notice
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AbleStable © 2002-2008 |
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Material: AbleStable © 2002-2008 |
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