Technical Communication A Practical Approach Chapter 14: Web Pages and Writing for the Web William Sanborn Pfeiffer Kaye Adkins

Technical CommunicationA Practical Approach

Chapter 14: Web Pages and Writing for the Web

William Sanborn Pfeiffer Kaye Adkins

Technical Communication: A Practical Approach, Eighth EditionW. S. Pfeiffer and K. Adkins

Copyright © 2013, 2010, 2006 Pearson Education, Inc., All Rights Reserved.2

Web Pages and Writing for the Web

Your Role in Developing Web Sites and Content

Planning Structure Content Development Guidelines for Writing Web Content Design Usability and Publication



Web Pages and Writing for the Web

Guidelines for Writing Web Content

Design Usability Testing Publication









Planning

Accessibility Guidelines Scripting Languages and Software

Authoring Tools



Planning

Planning Phase Define the site’s purpose Analyze your audience Outline the scope of the site with clear goals Identify constraints Identify methods to incorporate user-centered

design



Accessibility Guidelines

Users may have trouble accessing Web sites because of Computer system limitations or settings Physical disabilities

Commonly used accessibility guidelines U.S. Government Section 508 Accessibility

Guidelines World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web

Content Accessibility Guidelines



Government Section 508 Accessibility Guidelines Ensure that users using assistive technology can complete

and submit online forms. Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also

available without color. Provide a means for users to skip repetitive navigation

links. Provide a text equivalent for every non-text element that

conveys information. Ensure that all information on Web pages can be used by

assistive technologies



Government Section 508 Accessibility Guidelines

Provide text-only pages with equivalent information and functionality.

Provide client-side image maps instead of server-side image maps.

Provide equivalent alternatives for multimedia elements that are synchronized.

Organize documents so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet.

Provide frame titles that facilitate frame identification and navigation.



Planning

Scripting Language and Software-Authoring Tools HTML XHTML CSS PHP



Structure

Site Structures and Types Process of Developing a Structure Labeling Strategies Guidelines for Navigational Design



Structure



Structure

Site Structures and Types Consider these two factors when choosing a

site structure Breadth

The number of choices or content areas at any given level in the site’s structure

Depth The number of levels deep in a site structure



Process of Developing a Structure



Structure



Structure



Structure

Labeling Strategies Alphabetical Chronological Geographical By task By function By topic By question



Structure

Navigation Design Hyperlinks Toolbar menus Site maps Search fields



Structure

Guidelines for Navigation Use navigation element consistently

throughout the Web site Group main site navigation links Place appropriate navigation tools in each

new window or frame Place navigation links where they are clearly

visible



Content Development

Content Chunking Adapting Content for the Web Document Conversion Issues and

Common File Formats



Content Development

Content Chunking Stand-alone unit of text and graphics often

separated from other content chunks by spacing on a page

Size depends on purpose, screen layout, or specific project style guidelines

Use five to seven wrapping lines of text Use graphics as large as what fits on screen



Content Development

Adapting Content for the Web Check for internal consistency Decide which electronic formats to use

Hypertext markup language (HTML) Adobe portable document format (.pdf) Microsoft Word (.doc) Rich text format (.rtf)



Content Development

Document Conversion Issues and Common File Formats Select file formats that are commonly used Provide documents in multiple formats



Guidelines for Writing Web Content

Guidelines for Writing Web Content Use a general-to-specific organization in individual

content chunks Keep Web site structure in mind when creating

chunks Format text for easy reading Identify text to be hyperlinked Develop a style sheet for consistency Edit carefully



Design

Design Conventions and Principles Finding a Theme and Developing Graphic

Content File Formats and Graphics Interface Layouts Web Site Design Guidelines



Design

Design Conventions and Principles Place a hyperlink on the title banner or logo to

the home page Place the site’s main navigation in the left or

top margin Use consistent font faces, sizes, and colors Use descriptive titles and headers for each

graphic and on every page



Design

Design Conventions and Principles Provide contextual cues Maintain a consistent graphic identity Provide redundant navigation links Provide alternate descriptions of graphic

content Use no more than three font faces Use colors that contrast well



Design

Design Conventions and Principles Gestalt design principles

Create consistency in the use of elements in repetitive and similar ways on a page

Contrast visual elements, such as colors, lines, or shaded regions

Group elements together through space, color, or other graphic elements



Design

Finding a Theme and Developing Graphic Content Establish a graphic identity or design theme

for your site Consider the site’s tone and impression Select an appropriate theme for your users,

purpose, content, and tone



Design

Interface Layouts Header Navigation Content window Graphic identity Contextual clues



Design



Design



Design

Web Site Design Guidelines Make site structure recognizable Focus readers’ attention on the information they

want Indicate Web page active areas Associate text and graphics



Usability Testing

Testing Your Site for Your User Base Performing Usability Reviews Quick Usability Checks and System

Settings



Usability Testing

Testing Your Site for Your User Base Ensure the site is organized and functioning

properly Set goals Select criteria Develop test materials Solicit participants Set up the testing environment Conduct the test Write a results report



Web Usability Checklist



Publication

Publishing Your Site Obtain dedicated storage space on a Web

server and check for the following Amount of storage space available Process for logging in to the server Address of the host server Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or Web address

Documents

Technical Communication A Practical Approach Chapter 14: Web Pages and Writing for the Web William Sanborn Pfeiffer Kaye Adkins