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Karen O’HaraNovember, 2012

WHAT IS GOOD WEB DESIGN?

HINT: IT DOESN’T MAKE YOU THINK!

WEB DESIGN RESOURCES

Vincent Flanders’ Web Pages That Suck www.webpagesthatsuck.com

Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox

http://www.useit.com/alertbox

WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind)

http://webaim.org/

Informed Consent samples (Morehouse University)

Surveys & questionnairesTesting: with actual site or a paper

mock-up (paper prototyping)

USABILITY TESTING BASICS

ABOUT THE NIELSEN/NORMAN GROUP

Jakob Nielsen: “The world’s leading expert on Web usability” (U.S. News & World Report)

Don Norman: “One of the world’s 27 most influential designers” (Business Week)

Paper Prototyping: fast, cheap way to rapidly test user interfaces (DVD)

http://www.nngroup.com/reports/prototyping/video_stills.html

DEVELOPI

NG ACCESSIB

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WEB S

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WHAT IS ACCESSIBLE DESIGN?

Accessible by as many people as possible; often refers to people with disabilities Commonly accomplished through

assistive technology (screen readers, input devices)

Not exactly the same as usability (which focuses on user goals and satisfaction/efficiency)

Strongly related to universal design (making things accessible to all people whether they have a disability or not)

Source: Wikipedia

WORLD WIDE ACCESS: ACCESSIBLE WEB DESIGNhttp://youtu.be/MO2gpA91fR8

WHY MAKE THE WEB ACCESSIBLE TO USERS WITH DISABILITIES?

For purely ethical reasons It’s the law for websites that receive funding

from the federal government. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

(WCAG) represent good practice; subset of international World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Emerging technologies work better with accessible sites

SECTION 508: SCOPE

Section 508 applies to technologies, including:software applications and operating systems web-based information or applications telecommunication products video and multimedia products self contained, closed products (e.g., information kiosks, calculators, and fax machines)

desktop and portable computers

Scope currently limited to the Federal sectorDoes not apply to the private sector (yet)

THE BUSINESS CASE

Approximately 56.7 million (18.7%) of the civilian non-institutionalized population have a disability

More prevalent in older populations

About 38.3 million people (12.6%) have a severe disability (require personal assistance)

People with disabilities represent more than $200 billion in discretionary spending.

Brault, Matthew W., “Americans With Disabilities: 2010,” Current Population Reports, P70-131, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, 2012.

HOW T

O MAKE S

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MORE ACCESSIB

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1. ADD CONTEXT & EXPLANATION

Provide appropriate alternative text:present the CONTENT and FUNCTION of the image. Be succinct.

Examples: www.target.comwww.bbc.co.uk

Ensure links make sense out of context“Click here” will make no sense in a list of links on a page.

2. OFFER ALTERNATIVES

Caption and/or provide transcripts for audio and video

Ensure that readers can access files that are not in HTML, including:PDF files MS Word files PowerPoint presentationsAdobe Flash content

(And provide access to free viewing software, if available)

3. DO NOT RELY ON COLOR ALONE TO CONVEY MEANING (HTTP://WWW.NEITZVISION.COM/CONTENT/COLORBLINDWORLD.HTML)

It doesn’t work for people using screen readers or for people who are colorblind

4. DESIGN FOR READABILITY

Guideline 14 of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)—Ensure that documents are clear and simple so they may be more easily understood.

Make sure content is clearly written and easy to read

Write clearlyUse clear fontsUse headings and lists appropriatelyEnsure high color contrast.

5. TEST READABILITY

•Readability tests can be used to estimate the complexity of a page

•Major algorithms: Gunning-Fog Index, Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid grade level,

•One web-friendly site: http://juicystudio.com/services/readability.php

6. VALIDATE CODE AGAINST WCAG

Run site URLs through a validator such as WAVE or Cynthia Says

Add a browser toolbar (e.g., WebAIM’s WAVE toolbar for Firefox)

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THE END