1. How to Make the Web Easier for Users with Limited Literacy
Skills Sandy Williams Hilfiker Stacy Robison @CommunicateHlth
2. Presentation Overview Why do we need to care about literacy?
What we know about limited literacy users UX research with limited
literacy participants Implications for content and design
3. Which of the following is the strongest predictor of a
persons health status? Income Employment Education level Racial or
ethnic group Literacy skills
4. Literacy vs. Health Literacy
5. Whats unique about health information? Complexity of health
care and public health systems Stress and anxiety related to your
own health or the health of loved ones
6. What we know about web users with limited literacy
skills
7. What We Know Users with limited literacy skills are Willing
to use the web to access information that is important to them Able
to accomplish tasks when websites are designed well More likely to
use a mobile phone to access the web than a desktop
8. Prone to Skipping & Focus on the Center of the Screen
Gaze path of a participant with limited literacy skills who reads
only the text that looks easy to read. Source: Colter, A and
Summers, K (2014). Low Literacy Users. In Bergstrom & Schall
(Eds.), Eye Tracking in User Experience Design (p. 339). Waltham,
MA: Elesvier.
9. Easily Overwhelmed & Limited Working Memory Gaze path of
a participant who does not have limited literacy skills. Source:
Colter, A and Summers, K (2014). Low Literacy Users. In Bergstrom
& Schall (Eds.), Eye Tracking in User Experience Design (p.
335). Waltham, MA: Elesvier.
10. Easily Overwhelmed & Limited Working Memory Gaze path
of a participant with limited literacy skills attempting to read
every word. Source: Colter, A and Summers, K (2014). Low Literacy
Users. In Bergstrom & Schall (Eds.), Eye Tracking in User
Experience Design (p. 336). Waltham, MA: Elesvier.
11. ALL users benefit from improved readability and usability
Comparing time-on-task on the original site with a prototype
(designed to support users with limited literacy skills): Time on
Task (Mean) Original Site Prototype Improvement High literacy 14:19
5:05 +182% Lower literacy 22:16 9:30 +134% All users 17:50 6:45
+164% High Literacy Users: 3x as fast with the revised site 93%
success rate on revised site (compared to 68% with original)
Source: Summers, K., & Summers, M. (2005). Reading and
navigational strategies of Web users with lower literacy
skills.
12. UX research with limited literacy participants
13. Curse of knowledge
14. Use this tool to get recommendations based on your age and
sex
15. Methods
16. Sample Method: Collaging Participants create a collage that
represents the characteristics they would like to see in a new
website Result: Provides insights into users needs normally not
revealed in interviews and focus groups
17. This is how I feel free and full of energy. I want my
doctor to understand that this is how I want to feel with his or
her help.
18. Try It
19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
20. + Choose 2 images that represents qualities of your ideal
work environment. + Choose 1 image the represents the qualities you
would NOT want in your work environment. + Write a brief
description why you chose each image.
21. Sample Method: Tree Testing A technique for evaluating how
easy it is for people to locate information within a material or
website structure Participants are given a topic to find within a
text version of a site map or table of contents
22. Tree Testing with Professionals Task: Where would you go to
learn what Wisconsin is doing to support Healthy People 2020? This
chart represents an unsuccessful task on a website targeting low
lit consumers
23. Tree Testing with Limited Literacy Users Task: Where would
you find healthy snack ideas for kids? This chart represents an
unsuccessful task on a website targeting low lit consumers
24. 10 tips for involving participants with limited literacy
skills
25. Top 10 Tips Partner with community organizations to recruit
special populations Screen for participants with limited literacy
and limited technology use Develop screeners, consent forms, and
moderators guides in plain language Use cash incentives when
possible Limit the number of tasks
26. Top 10 Tips Be cautious using remote and online testing
Pre-test your protocol with at least one participant with limited
literacy skills Choose a moderator with experience conducting
research with limited literacy participants Conduct testing
sessions in a setting that is familiar and accessible to
participants Test on mobile using the participants device; ensure
Wi-Fi is available
27. Implications for Content and Design
28. Limit your messages+
29. What do you want your readers to know or do? (Organize your
content accordingly)
30. Identify your main message(s). Ideally no more than 3
Decide what is a main message and what is supporting content Put
your main messages first
31. Prioritize the Behavior Asthma makes breathing difficult
for more than 34 million Americans. Asthma in children is on the
rise, but with proper treatment for symptoms of asthma, kids and
adults can live well. If someone in your family has asthma, start
by getting rid of these common causes of attacks: Mold or dampness
Cockroaches Secondhand smoke
32. Write clearly+
33. Write in Plain Language Use short, simple sentences. Use
familiar language. Make it actionable. Use the active voice.
34. Example: Your primary doctor may refer you to a
neurologist. A neurologist is a doctor who treats problems related
to the brain and nervous system. Tip: Think about whether it
benefits the user to learn a jargon term or if it makes sense to
work around it. Do they need to know the new term?
35. Use short, simple sentences.
36. Limit paragraph size+
37. No walls of text Write for users limited working memory.
Use clear, stand-alone sections or chunks with headings.
38. What is a chunk? Here is your header Point 1 Point 2 Point
3 Point 4 Here is your header No more than three lines of text. No
more than three lines of text. No more than three lines of text. No
more than three lines of text.
39. Use white space wisely. Break up sections of text to avoid
walls Include generous padding around images Remember: Leave more
white space above a header than below
40. Use meaningful headings Which page title would be most
helpful if your child had asthma? About asthma Asthma symptoms
Prevent asthma attacks at home
41. Use good visual design+
42. Design is more than aesthetics It can help people: Find
what they need Understand what they find Remember what they
read
43. Its all about cognitive processing The more pre-cognitive
cues in a picture, the quicker we can process it, saving high level
mental capacity for deeper analytic processing. (like reading and
interpreting)
44. You read this first. And now youre reading this. Since you
probably skipped this, Im guessing your eyes jumped here
third.
45. Using Grouping Who should get the flu shot? Everyone age 6
months or older. When should I get the flu shot? As soon as
possible, typically in the fall. Are there side effects? Soreness
or redness where the shot was given.
46. Using Grouping Who should get the flu shot? Everyone age 6
months or older. When should I get the flu shot? As soon as
possible, typically in the fall. Are there side effects? Soreness
or redness where the shot was given.
47. Combine Grouping AND Contrast Who should get the flu shot?
Everyone age 6 months or older. When should I get the flu shot? As
soon as possible, typically in the fall. Are there side effects?
Soreness or redness where the shot was given.
48. Choose readable fonts+
49. Font Size (web) 16-20 px 12px
50. Letter Width Avoid overly wide or condensed fonts
51. Counter Look for fonts with adequate counter space
52. The best font choices are ones where readers do not notice
the font, but the message. Source: urbanfonts.com
