Transcript newrulesCIL2009 - University Library

New Rules of Web Design
Jeff Wisniewski
University of Pittsburgh
[email protected]
Computers in Libraries 2009
As Long as the Content
and AI Are Good…
• You’re OK…..NOT
• Design matters…
• Novice users judge superficially, and
quickly!
• Professional design=
credibility
All Content Is Created
Equal
• ..but some content is more equal
than other
• Design for what your users are
doing
• Emphasize the highest priority tasks
so that users have a clear starting
point. Nielsen
“The Rule of Seven”
• Not a rule a guideline
• Persuasive evidence both ways
• The answer depends on context
• More than 9…maybe your site lacks
focus?
3 click rule…
• …is dead-ish
• Design for SCENT
Design for 800x600?
• NO: Optimize for 1024x768
(Nielsen)
• What of other platforms (phones,
handhelds, etc.)? Use CSS media
types
Color me…colorful?
• The majority of users browse with 24bit color rendering
• RIP websafe palette?
– File size
– Alternative platforms
For Redesign
Inspiration…
• Check other library websites
• Standards, conventions, and user
expectations are established
OUTSIDE of library land…see Jacob’s
Rule
How Often to
Redesign?
• Constantly
• Iterative, evolutionary change
• A/B testing
• Sometimes a tear down is required
I Must Support All
Browsers
• Accessibility is critical and the right
thing to do
• Graded support aka progressive
enhancement
Avoid CSS for
Layout…It’s Buggy
• Well yes it is, sort of, but no longer
enough to justify not using it
• Be a <TABLE> hater
The Top of the Page is
Prime Real Estate
• Actually, it’s useless space…Banner
Blindness…
• Nielsen”: People have a tendency to
never look at a slim rectangular area
that's above the page's main
headline.”
Flash is Evil
• Flash Introductions are (in most
cases) evil
• Flash can be used for effective
animation and interactivity
• RIAs
Mouseover menus…
• …are still evil!…have usability
considerations
• They’re : slower, not scanable
(therefore preventing users from
getting an overview of you sites’
content)
Opening links in a new
browser window…
• Is sometimes OK: external links, file
downloads (PDF).
• TELL users
• Tabbed browsers make this less of
an issue
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/09/27/10-usability-nightmaresyou-should-be-aware-of/
Keep It Above the Fold
• Maybe…
• 76% of users scrolled and that a good
portion of them scrolled all the way to
the bottom, despite the height of the
screen …
• http://blog.clicktale.com/2006/12/23/u
nfolding-the-fold/
Resources
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Google Website Optimizer http://services.google.com/websiteoptimizer/
Large Web Sites Don't Change Much
http://webdesign.about.com/od/webdesignbasics/a/aa010206.htm
OneStat screen resolution survey
http://www.onestat.com/html/aboutus_pressbox51_screen_resolutions_internet.html
Forrester Research: Smackdown! Rich Internet Applications vs. HTML
http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,40566,00.html
Web users judge sites in the blink of an eye
http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060109/full/news060109-13.html
Stanford Guidelines for Web Credibility http://www.webcredibility.org/guidelines/
Fancy Formatting http://www.useit.com/alertbox/fancy-formatting.html
Human Factors International Design Newsletter: From Bricks to Clicks….
http://www.humanfactors.com/
Blasting the Myth of the Fold http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/blasting-the-myth-of
Utilizing the Cutoff Look http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2006/08/02/utilizing-the-cut-off-lookto-encourage-users-to-scroll/