links - usability

“The true reason to design for accessibility is greed. Quite simply, I want it all, and so should you. Give us everything you’ve got. Give us everything there is to give.”
— Joe Clark

“Users spend most of their time on other websites.”
— Jakob Nielsen

Basics

Building accessible websites http://www.joeclark.org/book/sashay/serialization/ Entire text of printed book. Clear and to the point. Joe Clark : 2005
Improve usability for older (and younger!) users http://www.sitepoint.com/article/improve-usability-older-users 16 usability sessions with 8 older and 8 younger users. Clear and interesting. Good list of recommendations that apply to all users SitePoint : 2006
Jakob Nielsen's Usability.com http://www.usability.com The Site for usability Jakob Nielsen : 2006
WebAIM http://www.webaim.org/intro/ Web Accessibility in Mind. "Now, at the click of a mouse, the world can be at your fingertips — that is, if you can use a mouse... and if you can see the screen... and if you can hear the audio — in other words, if you don't have a disability of any kind. Before focusing on the challenges that people with disabilities face when trying to access web content, it makes more sense to discuss the ways in which the Internet offers incredible opportunities to people with disabilities that were never before possible. The web's potential for people with disabilities is truly remarkable." WebAIM : 2006

Howtos

Eight usability problems that haven't changed http://www.webmonkey.com/webmonkey/06/24/index4a.html * Links that don't change color when visited * Breaking the back button * Opening new browser windows * Pop-up windows * Design elements that look like advertisements * Violating Web-wide conventions * Vaporous content and empty hype * Dense content and unscannable text Nielsen and Loranger : Jun 2006
Homepage real estate allocation http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030210.html "On average, sample sites evenly distributed valuable screen space between content, navigation, fluff, blank areas, and system overhead. Areas of user interest should occupy more than the current 39%." Jakob Nielsen : 2003
Six ways to fix a confused information architecture http://www.useit.com/alertbox/ia.html When your website's users consistently go to the wrong section of the site, you have many options for getting users back on track, from better labels to clearer structure. Jakob Nielsen : sept 2006
Ten most violated homepage design guidelines http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20031110.html "I typically focus my top-ten lists on issues that I think are the most important and most in need of attention. This time, I've used a different criterion: I've focused on the known usability principles that designers most frequently violate. Whether big or small, the very prevalence of these usability problems makes them worthy of attention." Jakob Nielsen : 2003
Top ten guidelines for homepage usability http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20020512.html "A company's homepage is its face to the world and the starting point for most user visits. Improving your homepage multiplies the entire website's business value, so following key guidelines for homepage usability is well worth the investment." Jakob Nielsen : 2002
Top ten rules for designing for low bandwidth http://www.aptivate.org/webguidelines/TopTen.html An excellent site. These are good tips for making any website, low bandwidth or high! Aptivate : July 2009

forms

Label placement in forms http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2006/07/label-placement-in-forms.php Using eyetracking to evaluate form usability – how people read forms and how to make it easier for them. Matteo Penzo : July 2006
Web application form design http://www.lukew.com/resources/articles/web_forms.html How labels and other visual elements help people use forms. Luke Wroblewski : 2008

frames

Frames and usability http://www.456bereastreet.com/archive/200411/who_framed_the_web_frames_and_usability/ Excellent discussion of reasons not to use frames. "Back in the nineties, using frames to split a browser window into several independent parts was very popular. Much due to the increased awareness of usability and accessibility over the last few years, frames usage is not quite as widespread as it used to be. However, frames can still be found on many sites, especially those that haven’t had a major overhaul in a while." Roger Johanssen : 2004-11-18

media

Media usability http://www.webreference.com/programming/web_usability/ good clear information about how to make media easier to use on your site, by the king of usability, Jakob Nielsen Jakob Nielsen : 2006

pdfs on the web

Avoid PDFs for on-screen reading http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20010610.html PDF ... makes your website's usability about 300% worse relative to HTML pages. ... You should use PDF only for documents that users need to download and print. Jakob Nielsen : 2001
PDF vs. HTML http://www.webaim.org/discussion/mail_thread.php?thread=1857 Most people in the web accessibility field acknowledge that Adobe have made decent strides in improving their tool, but PDF files were, are, and will continue to be cross platform PRINT files, whereas HTML is, was and will always be cross platform monitor display mark up language. I can use the back of a screw driver or the sole of my shoe to pound a nail into the wall, and it will get the job done. But I would rather use a hammer. ... I am not yet aware of an Adobe Acrobat plugin which works for PDAs, Cell Phones, Web ready refrigerators and car dashboards, etc. [click on links on page for more discussion] gen : 0
PDF: Unfit for human consumption http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030714.html PDF is great for one thing and one thing only: printing documents 0 :

reading or scanning

How users read on the web http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html They don't. They scan. Just like you do! So make your page as easy to understand as possible. Written in 1997 but humans are still the same. Jakob Nielsen : 1997
Why web users scan instead of read http://www.useit.com/alertbox/whyscanning.html Jakob Nielsen :

studies

Cross-site behavior http://www.useit.com/alertbox/cross_site_behavior.html Observations on small business sites, but i think the same would apply to non-profit org sites. Jakob Nielsen : 200?
Do non-profits get ROI from usability? http://www.useit.com/alertbox/government-nonprofit.html The benefits of site usability for non-profits. Very good explanations with examples of how attention to usability helps you promote your organisation and your message. Jakob Nielsen : February 2007
Survey offers a "sneak peek" into Net surfers' brains http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-03-26-web-use-study_x.htm Summary of current Nielsen study on how people use websites Edward C. Baig : 2006-03-26

writing for the web

Writing for the web http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/ "Research on how users read on the Web and how authors should write their Web pages." Nielsen : 2006

More usability info on this site

usability [ to directory ]