Web Site Design Usability Tips

CIS 101Web Development & Design

AppearanceWhitespaceLength of Web PageConsistency

ColorImagesSub pages

USABILITYIf a website is difficult to use, people leave. If the homepage fails to clearly state what users can do

on the site, people leave. If users get lost on a website, they leave. If a web site's information is hard to read or doesn't

answer users' key questions, they leave. Note a pattern here? There's no such thing as a user reading a website manual or

otherwise spending much time trying to figure out an interface.

There are plenty of other websites available; leaving is the first line of defense when users encounter a difficulty.

•Lots of links separated by whitespace•Page does not scroll down too far•Consistency of images, color and subpages

•Whitespace?? – None•Links? – None•Look at the source code if you want a headache!•http://brinascatchs.com/

FunctionalityOrganizationSpeed of LoadingInteractivity

http://art.yale.edu/http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=WkjjxLPcMj0

•Organization of Content•http://www.siphawaii.com/index.html

Note the

Scroll Bar

http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/

•Load Time•Interactivity??•http://www.joneschijoff.com/

Usability TipsLogo – always link to the home pageMake it legible – good color contrast between text and

background colors/imagesMake sure links are obviousProvide contact detailsProvide site-wide searching – via Google searchEliminate/Reduce the use of Flash

Flash is not searchableMultiple Browser CompatibilityAvoid popupsLimit the fields used for FormsLimit PDF usage – not searchable

URL’s of What Not to Do

http://www.joneschijoff.com/  http://www.siphawaii.com/  http://vacaway.com/  http://www.indiana.edu/~ensiweb/  http://www.rodcdavis.com/

Best Websites

Time Magazine 50 Best Web Sites of 2010

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2012721,00.html

Cool Home Pageshttp://www.coolwebpages.com

Flash Web Sites:http://www.wix.com/flash_websites/fish

Weeby Awardshttp://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php?season=14