1 The Web & Professional Communication English 3104

2 Why Teach Web Design? Helps you learn critical thinking Issues of accuracy, authority Issues of audience analysis Teaches about ethos and delivery In-line with principles of good practice Encourages active learning & feedback Emphasizes time on task Gives essential knowledge about the web as a delivery method for information & sales

3 Skills/Tasks Evaluation of web sites Principles of web design Focus on audience and purpose Principles about user-centered design Strategies for user-testing (surveys, interviews, protocol analysis)

4 Evaluate Web Sites Accuracy—is info reliable/error-free? Authority—is there an author? An expert? Purpose and Content Objectivity Currency Design and Ease of Use

5 Types of Sites Advocacy Business/Marketing News Informational Personal Entertainment

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8 Web Design Functionality / usability vs. aesthetics / fun Nielsen vs. the Artists (Flanders) E-commerce sites lose almost half of their potential sales because users cannot use the site. In other words, with better usability, the average site could increase its current sales by 79% (calculated as the 44% of potential sales relative to the 56% of cases in which users currently succeed). Nielsen

9 No Title and An interesting Pair of Sunglasses?

10 Mystery Meat Look at the sign from another perspective another perspective

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13 User-Centered Design: Focus on Navigation Navigation is goal-centered and action- oriented: searching, choosing, shopping, chatting, downloading We perceive the WWW as a space: rather than designing sidebars/menus, you’re designing spaces and interactions “It’s about wayfinding” Clement Mok

14 Different Goals Site Make money Find out about customers Offload overstock of 5000 copies of Led Zeppelin’s last record User Wants to purchase securely Wants to retain privacy Wants to buy latest album by Aaron Neville

15 Usability Testing Usability testing refers to the process of assessing your targeted audience’s reaction to your product (i.e., putting yourself in user's shoes) To structure information so people can find it and use it, we have to think like the user.

16 Don’t Forget Your Audience’s Goals! How is your audience using your product? In what context is your audience using your product?

17 Benefits Better communication with users, supervisor(s) and partner(s) Improved design through feedback and iteration Reduced risk Early proof of concept Quality assurance: saves time & money

18 Define Your Goals What are you testing? (ideas / prototype / complete product) Why are you testing? To make your product easier to use? To meet your audience’s needs? To prevent the “disease of familiarity?”

19 Qualities of Navigation Be easily learned Remain consistent Provide feedback Appear in context Offer alternatives Require economy of action and time Provide clear visual messages Support user’s goals and behaviors Match site design

20 User-Centered Design Know your users Make things obvious Aim for a simple, clean design Be consistent Use existing standards Provide feedback to users Facilitate user control and freedom Design to prevent errors and aid error recovery

21 Key to Success (In Any Medium) 1. Communicate with your partner 2.Gather user data 3.Test before you build 4. Follow usability guidelines 5.Follow accessibility guidelines 6. Test after you build 7. Maintain a performance focus