Web Usability
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Explores web usability and offers approaches to make web sites easy to use for an end-user, without requiring the user to undergo any specialized training. Creating websites that intuitively relate the performance actions needed on the web page to the user’s experience and expectations, the web designer/developer is able to present the information to the user in a clear and concise way, to give the correct choices to the users, in a very obvious way, to remove ambiguity regarding the consequences of an action and put the most important thing in the right place on a web page or a web application.
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Web Usability
- 1. Web Usability: Creating Great User Experiences!
- 2. Web Usability: Creating Great User Experiences! curriculum: Pat Rees Pasadena City College Webmaster
- 3. Web Usability: Creating Great User Experiences! facilitator: Joseph Karr O’Connor @csunwebmaster
- 4. Web Usability: Creating Great User Experiences! The only two industries that call customers users are the computer industry... and drug dealers.
- 5. Intro User Experience • find it • action • rinse and repeat • easily learnable • efficient • memorable • satisfying More important in 2.0! kayak CSUN Give Invisible when it works! 5
- 6. Intro Functional Design - Content Model • Support for tasks/goals Information Architecture • Organizing data/info • Taxonomy Communication Design • Motivates people to respond • Calls to action Interaction Design • Designing tasks/activities • Interaction Design Association 6
- 7. Creating Great User Experiences! Architecture SEO marketing - Taxonomy Search Navigation Web standards User interface Accessibility Interactivity Graphic design User centered Backend dev Findability Copywriting Do-ability Forms Wayfinding E-commerce 7
- 8. Creating Great User Experiences! 1. Doing The Research 2. Content Is King 3. How It Works 4. The Way It Looks 8
- 9. Creating Great User Experiences! The Machine is Us/ing Us 9
- 10. 1A Doing the Research • Create client persona E01 Imagine users • Invent user personas • Variety User states - examples • New applicant • Enrolled newbie • Occasional user • Frequent user 10
- 11. 1B Engage client • Survey and communication forms • Kelly Goto for sample forms E02 Site map - flow chart • Visio, Illustrator, OmniGraffle 11
- 12. 1C Wireframes • Bare bones • Start with deep content - work backwards • Lovelycharts 12
- 13. 1D Gather Technical Constraints Early • Screen flows • Getting from point to point • Gliffy 13
- 14. 1D Design Description Document (DDD) • thinkvitamin.com E03 14
- 15. 1E Search Engine Optimization • No black hat tactics - or be banished to the Phantom Zone Keywords and phrases • WordTracker • Google mainpage auto complete Findability • Identify appropriate site • Navigate the pages 15
- 16. 1E Open Standards • Semantic markup • Machine readable content • Web Standards Project • Jeffrey Zeldman: Designing With Web Standards (3rd Ed.) 16
- 17. 1E Open Standards • Semantic markup • Machine readable content • Web Standards Project • Jeffrey Zeldman: Designing With Web Standards (3rd Ed.) 16
- 18. 1F Analytics • Webtrends • Google Analytics 17
- 19. 1F • Crazyegg heatmap 18
- 20. 1G User Testing • Websort • Optimalsort 19
- 21. 1G Prototype • Paper 20
- 22. 1G Prototype With Fireworks • Interactive design team prototyping • Wireframes and pages • Interactive prototypes • Rapid prototyping 21
- 23. 1G Hands On User Testing • 5 people are sufficient • user at computer/projector • observers gathered around Video User Testing Sessions • Userfly • Morae • Silverback 22
- 24. 2A Content is King • Write to be found • Main message first • Cut out words - Tweet it! • Revise, revise, revise • How to write numbers • Check the reading level • JuicyStudios Readability 23
- 25. 2A Content is King • Word: Tools>Spelling and Grammar In Mac Word 2008: ✓ Preferences: "Authoring and Proofing Tools" E04 ✓ Select "Spelling and Grammar" ✓ Check the "check grammar with spelling" box ✓ Then check the "show readability statistics" box ✓ Go to the Tools menu and select "Spelling and Grammar" ✓ Word will show the readability statistics after spellcheck 24
- 26. 2B Content is King • Keep paragraphs short • Keep sentences short • Use fragments - FAQ: don’t repeat question • Use the users’ words • Think globally - ESL • Give examples Inverted Pyramid • Start with conclusion • Word: Tools>Auto Summarize 25
- 27. 2C Design for Scanning • Most users scan • Then they use search • Get rid of needless words - happy talk • Use headings, bullets, lists • Tables for TABULAR DATA (ONLY!) • F pattern and “ad blindness” Use Images and Icons • Images convey, clarify message - USE ALT! • Screenshots, videos • Icons help user find content, utilities 26
- 28. 2D Target All Devices • Mobile views rising 18%/mo (csun.edu) • JavaScript, PDF, Flash - may lack support • Test - turn off JavaScript and images • MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE to everyone! • Create print style sheet with CSS • W3C mobile web resource • Mobile emulators • iPhoney • Opera Mini Simulator • Opera browser>View>Small Screen 27
- 29. 2E Respect Me • How would I react? • Do good - i.e. opt-in • Tell me a story Rediscovery of Content • Faceted navigation - jcrew • Folksonomy (popular) tags - digg or delicious • RSS feeds, mailing lists, newsletters • Search box • Feeds, share, follow, etc. : ASMBYC 28
- 30. 3A How It Works • Interface design conventions - they work! • Google API libraries and samples • Yahoo User Interface library and patterns • MooTools • JQuery UI and tutorials • Patterns • Welie Pattern library • Smileycat Design Elements • Jennifer Tidwell 29
- 31. 3B Navigation • Findable • Where am I? • Where can I go? • Where have I been? • How do I get here again? • Go to deep page - answer those questions • E-trade • NPR Shop • 800x600: does right nav disappear? alistapart • Drop downs: USPS and csun.edu 30
- 32. 3C Affordance • Is clickable action obvious? 31
- 33. 3D Types of Navigation • Accordion • Simple jQuery accordions • Breadcrumbs • Apple Store • Library of Congress • Directory • Ebay • USPS 32
- 34. 3D Types of Navigation • Doormat • Stanford • Double Tab • State of California • Tabs • Trails • Faceted • Amazon • Nordstrom 33
- 35. 3E Types of Navigation • Fly-out • CSUN (myNorthridge Portal) • Adobe • Home Link • Green Beast • Icon • Clear Helper • Map Navigator • Google Maps 34
- 36. 3F Forms and Buttons • Required vs Optional • Crate and Barrel • Error Messages • Modal and non-modal • Don’t lock me out with modal! • No cryptic error messages, please. 35
- 37. 3F Forms and Buttons • Don’t be too rigid • Data checking on back end, please • Anticipate international formats • Dress for mess 6265857731 626 585-7731 626-585-7731 626.585.7731 (626) 585-7731 or international code 011 353 66 713 0000 36
- 38. 3F Forms and Buttons • Eliminate chance of error • Error-free learning • Provide an undo 37
- 39. 3F Forms and Buttons • Drop-down lists • Automate with keystrokes • States, countries, birth years, etc. 38
- 40. 3F Forms and Buttons • Use AJAX auto complete • Google Search • Kayak - try airport codes 39
- 41. 3F Forms and Buttons • Determine best use of form elements • Ease of entry, keystrokes, recognition • Fewer errors 40
- 42. 3F Forms and Buttons • Instructive design = speed and accuracy • Move cancel button away from “I’m done” • Indicate required and optional (color) • Provide hints • Limit drop down choices • More than 5 ‘choose one’? • Use a select list • Use radio buttons 41
- 43. 3F Forms and Buttons • Use Spry, CSS, and JQuery to help • Fancy form design with CSS • Friendly, understandable, focused error info • Organize info in logical fieldsets • Error-free learning • Completion button most likely choice • Keep users away from whirling blades 42
- 44. 3F Forms and Buttons • JQuery • JQuery UI • Datepicker Demo • Datepicker UI • Datepicker Format Date • JQuery Themeroller 43
- 45. 3G Less Friction>More Energy>Flow • Multiple pathways engage = discover • IMDb • Gradual engagement • Avoid sign-up forms - $300M Button • Guest vs registered - give good reason • Picnik • Visualize (whirled peas) • iGoogle 44
- 46. 3H Optimize for Speedy Download • Use best practices for speed • Downloading images, etc., takes time • Concatenate/minify scripts, run them last • Combine images with CSS sprites • Fewer HTTP requests • Tidy up CSS, put reference at top • Reduce DNS Lookups • Add far-future Expires header Expires: Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:00:00 GMT 45
- 47. 3H Optimize for Speedy Download • Avoid redirects • Add trailing slash to hyperlink • Avoid 301 and 302 status codes • NEVER USE meta redirects • Breaks back button, security warnings • Yahoo Best Practices • Get YSlow for Firebug and use it 46
- 48. 3H Optimize for Speedy Download • Mezzoblue Sprite Optimization • Firefox>Tools>Page Info • gmail • google search results • CSSsprites • Rosenfeld Media 47
- 49. 3H Optimize for Speedy Download • Check spelling • Validate • Accessibility, code, CSS - W3C • Check for broken links • Xenu’s Link Sleuth • Google Webmaster Tools 48
- 50. 3H Agile Design and Development Practices • Design system not surface • Evolutionary, user driven, not final • No page, only pathways • Simplicity over complexity • Collaborative and open design • Test in major rendering engines + mobile • WebKit (Safari, Chrome) • Gecko (Firefox) • Trident (IE) • Presto (Opera) 49
- 51. 4A The Way It Looks • Design affects usability • Aesthetically pleasing objects appear to be more effective • Professional design increases trust, especially for transactional site • Design can create order and instill peace and serenity • Important when asking user to fill out lengthy form 50
- 52. 4B Provide a Clear Visual Hierarchy • Vital info with quick scan • Visual prominence to important content • Related content visually related • Zoom out in Firefox (like squinting) • Logos take space, not most important • Visual nesting 51
- 53. 4C Contrast • Craft a visual information hierarchy • Compel viewers to view where you want them to • With intelligent contrast and calls-to-action users will follow along 52
- 55. 4D Don’t Forget White... oh, never mind! • CSS for leading and kerning text • CSS for padding and margins in layout • Important stuff gets more white space • Nested boxed content • Pay attention to padding • Pay attention to real estate needs 54
- 56. 4E Focus • Westerners typically begin reading a page of information in the upper left hand area • If you place highly conspicuous (according to contrast) in upper left it will most likely be seen and consumed first by Western users • Simplification is not organization • Complex <<-----|--->> Simple • Chaotic <<---|----->> Order • NRA 55
- 57. 4F Focus • Horizontal and vertical grids help reduce noise and complexity 56
- 58. 4F Focus • Horizontal and vertical grids help reduce noise and complexity • Subtraction • Tutorialblog 57
- 59. 4G Grids • Fireworks Reticulator • Dreamweaver - use grids and guides • Grid: View>Grid>Grid Settings • Guides: View>Rulers - drag out guides • Examples of grid layout designs • Smashingmagazine • Webdesignerwall • Newspapers • USA Today, CNN, CalTech Today, • Washington Post, MSNBC 58
- 60. 4H Make Something Stand Out - For Attention and Action • Use purposeful intentional contrast • Avoid small differences • Don’t violate overall design • Continue same convention elsewhere 59
- 61. The End