The State of Web Site Usability for June 2006

1. The State of Web Site Usability for June 2006 Janice James Simply Usable Through Design, LLC Steve Krug Advanced Common Sense Dave Mitropoulos-Rundus Compuware Corporation Jakob Nielsen Nielsen Norman Group Susan Weinschenk Human Factors International

2. Objectives for Today • Most prevalent web site usability issues today • Highest impact options for improvement DaveMR

3. Objectives for Today • Panelists will • Categorize web site issues • new issues • persistent issues • issues caused by design • issues caused by current technology limitations • Explain how satisfied or dissatisfied they are with the state of web site usability DaveMR

4. Objectives for Today • Attendees will walk away with a sense of purpose and focus on the highest impact improvements for today and the future. DaveMR

5. The State of Web Site Usability for June 2006 Previous sessions at UPA • 2003 • 2001 DaveMR

6. Combined Sessions and Papers Track evolution and changes in • Business • Development • Usability engineering focus DaveMR

7. Panel Session Rules • Short panelist presentations • Write down your questions • Panel debate kick-off • Draw questions from audience • Audience questions DaveMR

8. Dave Mitropoulos-Rundus metrorun@gmail.com

9. History of the Usable Internet • In the beginning, there was the internet …but it was text-based …and not everyone could use it DaveMR

10. In 1993 the Mosaic Browser DaveMR

11. Importance of the Mosaic Browser • Improved internet access for many • Worked on many different Operating Systems • “Adequately usable” • Enough desirable features… • Images • Sound …to provide a platform for expanded use DaveMR

12. Early retail on the internet • In 1994 • Pizza • Shopping malls • Online banking DaveMR

13. OK, nobody said it was pretty… <Pizza web site images> DaveMR

14. From 1994 to 2006 • Usability engineering has been an integral part of the development and success of web sites and other uses of the internet • The usability has improved, but has it improved enough? • Do we adequately provide for • All people? • All ages? • All locations? • All cultures? • All abilities? DaveMR

15. Steve Krug Advanced Common Sense skrug@sensible.com

16. Quo Vadis?The State of Web Site Usability circa 2006 Steve Krug

17. Where are those rocket cars? • As Jakob says... • It’s mostly about people, and human nature doesn’t change much Steve Krug

18. People come and go so quickly here • More experienced/comfortable, on average, so they move even faster, see even less • Even more task-oriented and shark-like Steve Krug

19. “Everything starts with a Google search”™ • Proof of concept: If it works—and provides value—they will come • But the death of the Home page is greatly exaggerated Steve Krug

20. Irrational exuberance, revisited • Yes, highly dynamic pages introduce a host of “new” usability issues • No, they’re not the solution for everything...or much Steve Krug

21. Sites are even more usable, on average • My mini-reviews tell me so • But you still usually can’t go more than a few feet without running into a tragic flaw • Original sin or entropy? • Built by people, for people • People who build them • My “Sixth Sense” feeling • People who maintain them • Managing the estate (Caroline Jarrett) Steve Krug

22. Still not a required line item, though • ...and I’m not convinced it necessarily ever will be • But it does spread virally/grassroots • More people have been exposed to usability • Designers get it more often than not • Stakeholders are slower on the uptake • “Just don’t get this big brain thing” • Not entirely sure why Steve Krug

23. Janice James Simply Usable Through Design, LLC janice@simplyusable.com

24. The State of Web Usability for 2006 Janice James Simply Usable through Design janice@simplyusable.com

25. The State of Web Usability • On the Upward Swing • Continued increase of number of users who use the Web • 73% of respondents (about 147 million adults) are internet users, up from 66% (about 133 million adults) in a January 2005 survey (Pew/Internet) • ~36 % of European population uses the Internet (Harris Interactive) • Experience levels of users have evolved • Affects recruiting efforts of more novice types Janice James

26. On the Upward Swing • Marked increase in consulting work • Greater willingness and commitment of companies to invest the resources to achieve more usable products and services • More evidence of internal corporate usability and user experience groups over last couple of years • Higher expectations of skills and experience • Development skills (HTML, JavaScript, Flash) • Tool experience (Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Director, Viseo, Illustrator • Teaching and mentoring experience • Information design skills • Project leadership skills • Etc. • Larger group sizes vs. just one-person teams Janice James

27. On the Upward Swing • Increased focus on better identifying and understanding targeted users • Still some resistance of companies just beginning UCD to spend resources on research such as user & task analysis, contextual inquiry, ethnographic studies • Greater attention paid to international users of U.S. sponsored web sites • Companies are focusing on the impact that cultural differences have on web usage • More international usability studies compared to 3-5 years ago Janice James

28. On the Upward Swing • In an effort to reduce expenses, wider acceptance of remote usability studies as complementary methods to more traditional usability research • Keynote/Vividence • Web IQ • Web Sort • Etc. Janice James

29. The State of Web Usability • Always room for improvement • Many Intranets’ search tools do not meet users’ expectations and are still a source of frustration • Broken links • Outdated information • Poor information architecture • Users can’t find what they need easily and quickly • Sites are organized based on internal models vs. users’ mental model • Need to conduct more user research to fully understand users and their mental models Janice James

30. Always Room for Improvement • Some companies are persistent about finding ways to steer users to registering on the site before it’s necessary • Leave the site when asked to register • Forget passwords • Small fonts and page overload • Users miss critical or desired information • Users abandon the site and go elsewhere Janice James

31. Heavy focus on younger site users with less attention or concern about older users As Internet users in their 50s get older and retire, they are unlikely to give up their wired ways and therefore will transform the wired senior stereotype. Why NOT pay attention to the needs and buying power of older users?? Always Room for Improvement Janice James

32. Susan Weinschenk Human Factors International susan@humanfactors.com

33. Jakob Nielsen Nielsen Norman Group nielsen@nngroup.com

34. Debate and discuss