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Web Design Part 2

Web Design Part 2. Page Size, Screen Layout and Content. Screen Size. http://www.w3schools.com. Best bet?. Design for multiple screen resolutions Frames, Tables etc. – Use % not fixed pixels Make sure design works well with different font sizes and different resolutions

laurel-jacobson
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Web Design Part 2

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  1. Web Design Part 2 Page Size, Screen Layout and Content

  2. Screen Size http://www.w3schools.com

  3. Best bet? • Design for multiple screen resolutions • Frames, Tables etc. – Use % not fixed pixels • Make sure design works well with different font sizes and different resolutions • Use style sheets for layout • Min width and max width (But not work in all browsers yet)

  4. 800 x 600 real size

  5. Page Layout • HTML was designed by engineers..before you could put a graphic on the web.. • If you place a chunk of text on a Web page, the dimensions of the viewer's browser window will determine the line length. • When the user resizes his or her window, the text reflows to fill the new space. • But the graphic does not resize • http://www.soc.staffs.ac.uk/flk1/test/flow.htm

  6. Fixed versus Flexible http://www.webstyleguide.com/page/examples/4.24a.html http://www.webstyleguide.com/page/examples/4.24b.html

  7. Page Design • Interesting To The User • Try blocking the areas of your web page • Not too much on navigation • Content should be 50 – 80% of page • Be careful about the amount of white space • Try different size monitors

  8. Page Layout

  9. Grids / Panels

  10. The Scroll factor… • Never horizontally!!! • Try and avoid vertically… • Most important information should be seen..

  11. One way…

  12. If you have to… • Have jumps..

  13. Short Versus Long Pages • Shorter Web pages should be used for: • Home pages and menu or navigation pages • Documents to be read online • Pages with very large graphics • Longer pages are: • Easier to maintain (content is in one piece, not in linked chunks) • More like the structure of their paper counterparts (not chopped up) • Easier for users to download and print

  14. Consistency • A graphic theme or blocked colour theme

  15. Content Design • The actors can be well dressed and good at their job, but the play is the important thing! • Be succinct - Write for scanability • People read the first sentence, then scan for hyperlinks • If you have lots of information – give them a print version • Use things like • Concise text / Bullet points or scannable text • Neutral language • Quality content is one of the most important factors in web usability • What’s in this site for me? • Keep it up to date!

  16. Plan for scanability..

  17. Credibility • Don’t fill your pages with junk • Don’t be amateur – animated gifs everywhere etc. • It’s the visual appearance that the user sees first • Don’t open new windows all the time! – It pollutes the screen • Tell the user things – don’t assume they know what your site is about.

  18. The Home Page • The most important • Links to on every page - Some people use the logo..but do not assume! • Types • Menu • News • Path based – specific target audience drill down • Splash Screen • Combination of the above • Graphics or Text????

  19. Site Maps • Would you have a book without an index or contents page??? • A web site can be so much bigger • Finding your way about – search / a-z pages

  20. Graphics Versus Text • A good balance… • Think of the audience • Think of small graphics or slices

  21. Navigation • Navigation • Where am I? / Where have I been? / Where can I go? • Heading bar..the same each page..not too wide • Menus..same place, same order each page • Hyperlinks - use groups of words for a link • Not • For background information on the whale, click here • Use • We have background information on the whale • Keep non visited and visited links different colours

  22. Headers and Footers

  23. Time to Load • ‘Lets give them better design and they are happy to wait for it!’ – wrong! • Everyone does not have a broadband connection! • If it takes longer than 10 sec, people will go elsewhere! • Keep those download times consistent for each re-visit to the site

  24. What is accessibility? • "The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." -- Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web • For a website to be accessible, its content must be available to everyone, including people with disabilities. • Type it in a web browser…you will see the results you get..

  25. Why do it? • A proportion of your audience is disabled • That should be enough reason why…. • And if its not…it’s the law • America – Section 508 • http://www.section508.gov • UK • http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-acc • http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/PublicWebsite/public_caseforaccessibility.hcspessibility/uk-website-legal-requirements.shtml

  26. Discussion… • How do we make things accessible? • Where can we look for more information on accessibility? • Full page - http://www.w3.org/WAI/ • Quick Tips - http://www.w3.org/WAI/References/QuickTips/ • Full checklist - http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/full-checklist.html and http://www.w3.org/WAI/gettingstarted/ • How they view the web - http://www.w3.org/WAI/EO/Drafts/PWD-Use-Web/

  27. Quick Tips from W3C • Images & animations: Use the alt attribute to describe the function of each visual. • Image maps. Use the client-side map and text for hotspots. • Multimedia. Provide captioning and transcripts of audio, and descriptions of video. • Hypertext links. Use text that makes sense when read out of context. For example, avoid "click here." • Page organisation. Use headings, lists, and consistent structure. Use CSS for layout and style where possible.

  28. Quick Tip 2 • Graphs & charts. Summarize or use the longdesc attribute. • Scripts, applets, & plug-ins. Provide alternative content in case active features are inaccessible or unsupported. • Frames. Use the noframes element and meaningful titles. • Tables. Make line-by-line reading sensible. Summarize. • Check your work. Validate. Use tools, checklist, and guidelines at http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG • Also use accessibility testers such as http://webxact.watchfire.com/

  29. Quick Tips 3 • Allow the user to personalise • http://www.drc-gb.org/accessoptions/index.asp • Check site in different browsers to make sure it’s the same • Use the text size changer in the browser to make sure the text size increases • Use ems for sizes not pixels

  30. Evaluation – Testing the Usability

  31. Test It! • Don’t assume its right just because you do it • Show it to people • Get them to use it • Ask them to perform a task • Get to the screen with the history of Berlin on • Watch how they do it and ask them for feedback • Improve it!

  32. Why Evaluate? • To see if it suits its purpose • To see if it is “useable” • To see if the user understands the navigation • To see if the web interface works • To see if it hits its target - what it aimed to do

  33. How do you evaluate • Decide what you are evaluating • Decide how you are going to evaluate it • Decide who is going to evaluate • Perform the evaluation • Measure reactions / results • Analyse results • Report on results

  34. Web sites For HCI / Design Hints • http://www.webstyleguide.com/ • http://www.useit.com/alertbox/designmistakes.html • http://www.nomensa.com/resources/articles.html • http://www.csszengarden.com/ • http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-usability/

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