nyu web intensive - week 3 class 2
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
WHAT IS USABILITY TESTING?
WELL, WHAT IS USABILITY?“Usability really just means making sure that something works well: that a person of average (or even below average) ability and experience can use the thing - whether it's a Web site, a fighter jet, or a revolving door - for its intended purpose without getting hopelessly frustrated.”
(Steve Krug)
USABILITY TESTINGTesting is a technique to ensure that the intended users can perform the intended tasks efficiently, effectively and satisfactorily. Without frustration!
Surveys
Interviews
Eyetracking studies
Usability testing
Online testing tools
WHAT TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE?
SURVEYSAllow users to review the site.
Distribute surveys.
Ask them to answer questions
Survey
INTERVIEWSAllow users to review the site.
Make user comfortable.
Ask users questions.
See handout.Interview
EYETRACKING STUDIES
EYETRACKING AND THE EYEEyetracking is following the trail of where a person is looking.
Equipment can be built into the computer.
Eyetracking software keeps track of what’s on screen while user is looking at it.
How does it work?
FIXATIONWhen the eye is resting on something.
Last between one-tenth and one-half.
Red spots are fixations.
SACCADESThe eye’s rapid movements from one fixation to the next.
Last between one-hundredth and one-tenth of a second.
Thin red line connecting the dots are saccades between fixations.
Eyetracking Study
HEAT MAPSVisualization technique for eyetracking studies.
A color-coded screenshot that shows the user’s fixations.
Red: where users looked most.
Yellow: indicate fewer fixations.
Blue: indicate least view areas.
Gray: no fixations. Facebook Heatmap
F - PATTERN
BANNER BLINDNESS
USERS FOCUS ON FACES
USERS FOCUS ON FACES
USABILITY TESTINGSeries of tasks for participants to perform on an actual website or prototype.
Tasks are formulated from user and business goals.
Measures the success of failure of a design.
What you need?
Pen and clipboard, computer with Internet connection, perhaps a tape recorder.
STEPS
#1 INTRODUCTION (5-10 MINS)Make participant feel comfortable.
Let them know they can have a break any time.
If video taping, get permission.
Ask questions about them – include demographics, occupation, education level, Internet experience.
Explain equipment if necessary.
Assure them that there is no right or wrong.
#2 TASKS (10 - 15 MINS )Be sure to read the task aloud.
Encourage participant to think aloud.
Have a written version that you leave in front of the user.
DO NOT HELP THE USER THROUGH THE TASK.
No small talk!
TECHNOLOGYMorae®: A recorder that captures onscreen activity of the user’s computer and a camera video of the user.
Creates a synchronized index of events occurring behind the scenes in applications and in the operating system.
Morae Website
COMMON ERRORSStrategic Errors - premature testing, not enough time or will to make changes.
Inadequate Planning - do a pilot test to uncover problems with plan and materials.Read script aloud.
Allow enough time between test sessions (minimum 30 minutes)
Reveling Too Much
COMMON ERRORSPoor Task Design - test core functionality and areas identified as problematic.
If scenarios were used, convert into tasks to ensure key interactions are studied.
Accidental Revelation - revealing too much. Watch your language.
Unprofessional Demeanor - need to be professionally detached and neutral. Don’t finish user’s sentence!
TEST PARTICIPANTSGet representative users - Craig’s list, LinkedIn,employment agencies, market research agencies.
Use questionnaires to screen.
Offer incentives.
Send reminders.
ENVIRONMENT
TEST PARTICIPANTSSchedule 5 - 8 users.
Only need 5 - account for no shows, botched tests.
Test up to 3 groups of 5 - 1 test after iterations made.
http://www.xperienceconsulting.com/en/research/lab_usability_test.php
http://happyuser.xperienceconsulting.com/tag/test-de-usuarios/
http://usit.com.au/introducing-cider-or-why-i-dont-like-the-term
USING THE DATA
USING THE DATATransform both qualitative and quantitative data to make recommendations
QUANTITATIVE DATAAny information that can be measured:
Ease of use
Satisfaction
Verbal descriptions of people’s experiences
Examples: The time it takes to complete a task, or the completion rate of a task.
QUALITATIVE DATAInformation that requires interpretation
Identifies trends or categories of user’s behavior
Example: How well users can complete a task
Where they are encountering problems
Level of frustration
COMB THE DATA
PreferencesNeedsStoriesCurrent BehaviorsPain PointsSatisfaction Level
FROM INTERVIEWS
SuccessNew BehaviorsUsage PatternsPain PointsTime to completeAssists required
FROM USER TESTING
TESTING SITES- Usabilla- Infomaki - ChalkmarkCARD SORTING- Optimal Sort- XSort (desktop app for Mac)NAVIGATION TESTING- Treejack- Five Second Test
ONLINE TESTING
ORGANIZING THE DATAOrganize the data into categories or findings.
Find themes and put in table.
AFFINITY DIAGRAMSOrganizes items into common themes.
Helpful when you have a large amount of data.
You have many facts or ideas in apparent chaos.
When issues seem too large and complex.
When group consensus is needed.
1. Record each idea on sticky note and layout on wall2. Look for groups3. Repeat till all notes are grouped4. If a note seems to belong in two groups, make a second note5. Discuss patterns and reason for groupings6. Find headers
AFFINITY DIAGRAMS
SPREADSHEETSUse to track stories, needs, pain points, successes
Provides Quantitative layer over Qualitative information
More difficult to collaborate than affinity diagrams
Example
WORKSHOP # 1 - USABILITY TESTPlease break into twos. Person A tests Person B
Follow format:
Orientation Tasks - read aloud to participant - careful not to “help” - be sure to ask about expectations - let mistakes happenDebriefing
WORKSHOP # 1 - USABILITY TESTAnything surprise you?Any new insight?Anything go wrong?Was the site used in a way that you did not expect?Did you discover any usability problems?
WORKSHOP # 1a- USABILITY TESTPlease break into twos. Person B tests Person A
Follow format:
Orientation Tasks - read aloud to participant - careful not to “help” - be sure to ask about expectations - let mistakes happenDebriefing
WORKSHOP # 1a - USABILITY TESTAnything surprise you?Any new insight?Anything go wrong?Was the site used in a way that you did not expect?Did you discover any usability problems?
DESIGNING FOR WEB USABILITY
USER EXPERIENCE"User experience isn't a layer or component of a product or service. It's really about the design of the whole systems and their interconnections."
- Andre Hinton, Senior IA at Vanguard
WHY TEST?If a user can’t find a product, they won’t buy.
If they can’t find what they are looking for, they will look elsewhere.
The holder of the mouse rules!
NAVIGATION & WAYFINDING
NAVIGATION“Navigation isn’t just a feature of a website, it is the web site,
in the same way that the building, the shelves, and the
cash register are Sears. Without it, there’s no there there.”
-Steve Krug
WAYFINDINGCoined by Kevin Lynch in The Image of the City, 1960.
Describes the elements that allow us to navigate successfully
in cities and towns.
4 CORE COMPONENTS1. Orientation: Where am I now?
2. Route decisions: Can I find the way to where I want to go?
3. Mental mapping: Are my experiences consistent and understandable enough to know where I’ve been and to predict where I should go next?
4. Closure: Can I recognize that I have arrived in the right place?
ELEMENTS OF MENTAL MAPS1. Paths: streets, transit lines, canals, railroads - channels that people regularly move.
2. Edges: physical barriers; walls, fences, rivers, shore - boundaries that create linear breaks in continuity/separate and relate two distinct regions.
3. Districts: Major sections of a city that have a common identifying character: Chinatown, Wall Street, Greenwich Village.
4. Nodes: major intersections, meeting places.
ELEMENTS OF MENTAL MAPS4. Nodes: Intersections, enclosed squares, street corners, subway stations - all serve as points of reference, transition and destination.
5. Landmarks: Towering buildings, golden domes, mountains, signs, storefronts, trees - physical objects that serve as spatial reference points.
ON THE WEBNo sense of scale or movement in space.
No compass: no direction.
You are here: navigation interface.
Paths: lead the way: site navigation, breadcrumbs.
PATHSConsistent, predictable navigational links.
Appear the same throughout the site.
Can be habitual.
Explicit elements: breadcrumbs.
EDGES & DISTRICTSEffective interface design uses consistent page grid, terminology, navigation links.
Uses visual flexibility to create identifiable regions and edges within the larger space.
REGION REGION REGION REGION REGION REGION
Landmarks along the way
NODESThe local coffee shop or Times Square?
Too much choice causes stress, slows decisions, makes us less satisfied and more likely to walk away.
LANDMARKS “YOU ARE HERE”Search function cuts across all the normal wayfinding boundaries.
Orientation cues are particularly important since users often arrive at a page without having followed a deliberate and repeatable path.
Headers: “You are here” markers
SUMMARY1. Paths: create consistent, well-marked navigation paths.
2. Regions: create a unique but related identity for each site region.
3. Nodes: don’t confuse the user with too many choices.
4. Landmarks: use consistent landmarks in site navigation and graphics to keep the user oriented.
Web Style Guide, 3rd Edition
PAGE LAYOUT
ELEGANCE & SIMPLICITYUse economy of expression.
Most powerful designs are result of a process of simplification and refinement.
MINIMALISM “A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
--Anoine de Saint Exupéry
Approachability: easy to tell at a glance what it is and designs invite further exploration.
Recognizability: recognized easily, easily assimilated, understood and…REMEMBERED.
Immediacy: have greater impact because they can be immediately recognized and understood with minimal effort.
Usability: simplicity enhances usability.
ADVANTAGES
Unity
Refinement
FitnessAll the elements must be unified to produce a coherent whole. The parts and whole must be refined to focus user attention and the fitness of the solution to the communication problem must be ensured at every level.
PRINCIPLES
Reduction
Regularization
Leverage Reduce the design to its essence, regularize the elements of the design, then combine them for maximum leverage.
HOW
INFORMATION...... consists of differences that make a difference.
- Edward Tufte, Envisioning Information
SCALE, CONTRAST, PROPORTIONThe subtle interrelationship of scale, contrast and proportion can be seen in all harmonious designs.
SCALEDescribes the relative size of a design element in relation to the other design elements and the composition as a whole.
CONTRASTResults from the differences that can be seen between the design elements.
Provides visual distinctions in: shape, size, color, texture, position, orientation, and movement.
PROPORTIONDetermines the balance and harmony of the relationship between the elements.
ORGANIZATION & STRUCTUREProvide the user with visual pathways needed to experience a site in a systematic way.
Must be introduced by establishing relationships among the design elements.
Grouping
Hierarchy
Relationships
Balance
PRINCIPLES
GROUPINGStart by grouping display elements into higher order units.
(Note: words in a book are grouped into columns, paragraphs, sections etc).
Higher-level structures orient the user.
Binds functional units tightly together.
Use spacing and alignment for effectiveness.
HIERARCHYEye looks for visual hierarchies for orientation.
Most important elements must be large enough to draw the viewer closer.
Specifics follow.
RELATIONSHIPSGrouping and hierarchy are reinforced when visual elements are related.
Position, size and value provide visual cues.
Alignment helps form visual relations.
BALANCEEnsures that the elements remain stable in their position on the page.
A composition is balanced when the visual weight of the elements on either side of the piece are approximately equal.
WORKSHOP # 2 - PAGE LAYOUTPlease break into three groups.
Find websites that illustrate: 1. Scale2. Contrast3. Proportion4. Organization & Structure
5. Grouping6. Hierarchy7. Relationships8. Balance
HOMEPAGES
FIRST CHANCEcan be your first (and possibly last) chance to attract a user
IDENTITYinclude a tag line that summarizes what the company does
FRONT PAGEshould be like the front page of a newspaper
TELL YOUR STORYshould say who you are, what you do or what products your
offer and what sets you apart from the competition
SHOW COMPANY LOGO
PRIORITYemphasize highest priority tasks so there is a clear starting point
SHOULD BE UNIQUEdesign to be clearly different from all other pages on the site
ESTABLISH TRUST & CREDIBILITY
HAVE CLEAR NAVIGATION
THE FINE PRINTgroup all corporate information in one distinct area
INCLUDE SEARCH BAR
CALLS TO ACTIONreveal site content with calls to action
USE MEANINGFUL GRAPHICS
DESIGN CONVENTIONS
LOGOCalender | A-Z Index Search This Site GO
The tagline would go here...
Navigation | Navigation | Navigation | Navigation
Selected Tab Unselected Tab Unselected Tab
Home page > Section > PageNavigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Navigation
Left scan column
(optional)
Right scan column
(optional)Main content column
Copyright 2012 | Company Name | Company Address | New York, NY | 555-555-5555
Breadcrumb trail
Link to home page Primary location for search, shopping carts
Navigation and search
Identity and titles
Navigation links
Tab navigation
Alternate right location
for scan column
navigation and search
Common location for
banner ads
Contact information,
copyrights, dates
Header
Local Navigation
Search,
banner ads,
contact
information
Footer
WEB STANDARDS “The experienced web designer, like the talented newspaper art director, accepts that many projects she works on will have headers and columns and footers. Her job is not to whine about emerging commonalities but to use them to create pages that are distinctive, natural, brand-appropriate, subtly memorable and quietly but unmistakably engaging.”
--Jeffery Zeldman
ABOVE THE FOLDAbove the fold - a graphic design concept that refers to the location of an important news story or a visually appealing photograph on the upper half of the front page of a newspaper.
In web design, top 600 to 700 pixels (on 19” - 22” monitor)
Just a guideline.
--Jeffery Zeldman
BREAKING THE RULESMore sites now will put important content beneath the fold.
People will scroll if the content is interesting.
37signals Acumen Fund
Zipcare
PURPOSE OF GRAPHIC DESIGNUnlike a print, web users interact with information.
GUI (graphic user interface) must convey function and meaning.
Graphics are integral to the user’s experience.
PURPOSE OF GRAPHIC DESIGNCreate visual hierarchy so you can see what’s important.
Define functional regions of the page.
Group page elements that are related, so you can see structure in the content.
CONSISTENT LAYOUTHeader - mini versions of the homepage.
Footer - about house keeping and and legal matters.
Global Navigation
Local Navigation
Content, Features, Products
Banner Ads
Informative title
Identity
Copyright statement
Link back to home
Navigational links
Heading or title to clarify content
Link to contact information
Alternate (alt) text identifying graphics on the page
PAGES SHOULD INCLUDE
Site identity
Major navigation links/utility navigation
Search box (not always)
Link back to home
WHAT GOES INTO A HEADER?
POSSIBLE HEADER COMPONENTSIndividual designs rarely use them all.
LOGO Site titles, section identity, or advertising
Navigation | Navigation | Navigation | Navigation
Selected Tab Unselected Tab Unselected Tab
Advertising CartSearch This Site GO
Variations
Contact information.
Copyright statement.
Page author.
Links to related sites or to larger enterprise.
Utility links can go here.
Redundant navigation for long pages.
WHAT GOES INTO A FOOTER?
WRITING FOR THE WEB
CONTENT IS KING“Ultimately, users visit your website for its content. Everything else is just the backdrop. The design is there to allow people access to the content.”
--Jakob Nielsen
PAPER VERSUS MONITORBecause screen resolution is low (72 to 110 dpi), it places a strain on the human eye.
Because we read on a screen, we are forced to view from a more or less fixed position - with print you can read anywhere in any position.
Can lay papers out on the floor. (Can’t do a search though.)
PAPER VERSUS MONITORScreen glare is not an obstacle when reading on paper.
Monitor Flick: looks like a solid image, but the screen is refreshing so fast that you are fooled into seeing a solid image, but the brain is alway correcting for the flicker.
Reading is 25% slower on a screen. (Jacob Nielsen)
- Scrolling is clumsy - people don’t like it and they lose their place.
- Readers scan on-screen, then print content for reading.
- Web reading is not stationary - text jumps from link to link and page to page.- Many web pages end up as fragments of information taken from larger context.
READING ON THE WEB
1. Be succinct - write no more than 50% of the text that you would have used in print.
2. Write for scanability - use short paragraphs, subheadings, bulleted lists.
3. Use hypertext to split up long information into multiple pages.
3 GUIDELINES
- Studies show that almost 80% of users initially scan a webpage.
- Users pick out key words, sentences and paragraphs of interest - They skip over the text they are not concerned with.
- Write articles with two or three levels of headlines for easy scanability.
- Use general page headings plus subheads and sub-subheads if needed.
SCANABILITY
- Use meaningful headlines - Tell the user what the page or section is about.
- Use bulleted lists and similar design elements to break text blocks.
- Use highlighting and emphasis to catch the user's eye.
- Be sure to distinguish from link colors so as to avoid confusion.
SCANABILITY
- Start each page with the conclusion - most important material should come up front.- Users should be able to tell in a glance what the page is about.- Users often only read the first line of a paragraph - use topic sentences, one idea per paragraph.
- Use simple sentence structure - avoid convoluted writing and complex words.
- Use caution with metaphors and humor - readers may take you literally.
USE PLAIN LANGUAGE
- Use hyperlinks to make text short.
- Keep links visible, ideally above the fold.
- Split the information into “chunks” that focus on a certain topic.
- Move long, detailed info to secondary pages.
- Avoid using links to break long articles into separate pages - is disruptive and makes printing difficult.
CHUNKING
- Online headlines are different than printed headlines.
- Online headlines are often displayed out of context: as part of an article, in a search list, in a bookmark list.
- Headline must stand on it’s own even when the rest of content is unavailable.
- Online headlines and their content are often hard to see in a single glance on the window so it is difficult for the user to learn enough just from the surrounding data.
HEADLINES
Use colors that have a high contrast between the text and the background.
Use plain color-backgrounds or subtle patterns.
Use fonts big enough that people can read.
Make the text stand still – moving blinking or zooming text is hard to read.
Keep sentences to 7 - 10 words as that is what the eye can comfortably track.
LEGIBILITY
Try to left justify text when possible.
LEGIBILITY
AVOID THE USE OF ALL CAPS FOR TEXT BECAUSE RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT IT IS 10 PERCENT SLOWER TO READ THAN TEXT IN MIXED CASES, BECAUSE IT IS HARDER FOR THE EYE TO RECOGNIZE THE SHAPE OF WORDS AND CHARACTERS IN THE MORE UNIFORM AND BLOCKY APPEARANCE. DON'T DO IT.
Legibility depends on the tops of all the letters.
Legibility depends on the tops of all the letters.
LEGIBILITY
Explain what the article is about in terms that relate to the user.
Write in plain language.
Avoid teasers that try to entice people to click.
Try to make the first word an important, information-carrying one.
REMEMBER
WORKSHOP # 3 HEADLINESStay in your groups.
Remove every word you can from the passages below and create a catching headline. 1. Government officials involved in the Olympics call it a fiasco, that is, the extent of chaos that has thrown security plans into disarray upon learning that of the shortfall of civilian guards.
2. If “Ghosts in the Machine” an ambitious exhibition at the Met were itself a machine, it would have lots of moving parts but not all would be performing with equal efficiency.
3. Apple announced that its’ bestselling MacBook laptop just got its newest makeover. It’s a thing of beauty, clad in aluminum like its more expensive Pro siblings.
WEB TYPOGRAPHY
TYPOGRAPHYTypography is the process of arranging letters, many terms are left over from the days of letterpress
On computers we use fonts, whether for digital printing or on the web.
HISTORY OF WEB TYPOGRAPHYAt first browsers had no way of embedding fonts.1995: Netscape introduces <font> tag1998: CSS2 allows for more type configuration2005: CSS3 introduces @font-face, allowing fonts to be hosted online
WEB-SAFE FONTSCome preinstalled on most computers.
Arial, Comic Sans MS, Courier,Georgia, Impact, Tahoma
Times New Roman, Verdana
@FONT-FACELets the browser load a font from a remote server, meaning that pages can display text in the specified font even if the user does not have it installed on their computer.
Allows for greater design customization without sacrificing accessibility or SEO.
IMAGE REPLACEMENTGood for logos. Bad for accessibility and SEO.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT FONT
SERIF VS SANS SERIFSerif
Sans SerifSlab SerifDis!lay
HEADERS VS COPYYou can use decorative fonts for headers...Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent sodales,
sapien ut porta blandit, metus dui imperdiet ipsum, id eleifend est nulla eu
orci. Mauris lectus eros, rutrum at lobortis ut, eleifend eget eros. Nulla at
felis eget neque aliquam convallis.
X-HEIGHT
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adipiscing elit. Praesent sodales, sapien ut
porta blandit, metus dui imperdiet ipsum, id
eleifend est nulla eu orci. Mauris lectus eros,
rutrum at lobortis ut, eleifend eget eros. Nulla
at felis eget neque aliquam convallis.
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adipiscing elit. Praesent sodales, sapien ut
porta blandit, metus dui imperdiet ipsum, id
eleifend est nulla eu orci. Mauris lectus eros,
rutrum at lobortis ut, eleifend eget eros. Nulla
at felis eget neque aliquam convallis.
Lorem ipsum Lorem ipsum
OUR FAVORITESOur favorite web fonts available for free from Google Fonts.
Open Sans Open Sans Open Sans Open Sans Open Sans
Lato Lato Lato Lato
Vollkorn Vollkorn Vollkorn Vollkorn
WEB TYPOGRAPHY TIPS
INCREASE LEADINGLine height should be at least 120% of font size.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent sodales, sapien ut porta blandit, metus dui imperdiet ipsum, id eleifend est nulla eu orci. Mauris lectus eros, rutrum at lobortis ut, eleifend eget eros. Nulla at felis eget neque aliquam convallis.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur
adipiscing elit. Praesent sodales, sapien ut
porta blandit, metus dui imperdiet ipsum, id
eleifend est nulla eu orci. Mauris lectus eros,
rutrum at lobortis ut, eleifend eget eros. Nulla
at felis eget neque aliquam convallis.
DO
DON’T
MAINTAIN LEGIBILITYLight colors are hard to read, even on white. Beware of #666.
Test your legibility with AccessColor.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent sodales, sapien ut porta blandit, metus dui imperdiet ipsum, id eleifend est nulla eu orci. Mauris lectus eros, rutrum at lobortis ut, eleifend eget eros. Nulla at felis eget neque aliquam convallis.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur
adipiscing elit. Praesent sodales, sapien ut
porta blandit, metus dui imperdiet ipsum, id
eleifend est nulla eu orci. Mauris lectus eros,
rutrum at lobortis ut, eleifend eget eros. Nulla
at felis eget neque aliquam convallis.
DO
DON’T
COLUMN WIDTHThe eye can only comfortable track 7-10 words per line, which is about 40 to 80 characters.
Multiply your text size by 30 to determine maximum column width.
10px type x 30 = 300px column width
DO
DON’T
IMPLEMENT HIERARCHYUse multiple typefaces to differentiate between elements on the page.
Mix between categories (serif, sans serif, slab serif, display)
Don’t go too crazy! Don’t use more than 2 or 3 fonts.
DO
DON’T
RESOURCES FOR WEB FONTSGOOGLE WEB FONTSFONTSQUIRRELTYPEKIT
WORKSHOP # 4 CREATE SITEPlease go into the group you worked with when creating personas.
CREATE CONTENT FOR THE WEBSITE USING THE PERSONAS AND SCENARIOS. What content would the user you defined find on the site?Establish contentEstablish information architectureCreate site mapCreate navigationCreate wireframes or other prototypeDo a prototype testMake improvements
GROUP #1: Site is to provide info for people starting own business; some of them have experience in he business world; others this is their first exposure to issues running a business.
GROUP #2: Site is to provide info for people looking to place parents in assisted living.
GROUP #3: Site is to provide info for people looking to compare car insurance.
WORKSHOP #4 SCENARIOS
ACCESSIBILITY
UNIVERSAL USABILITY...is a goal, not an outcome.
“To achieve universal usability, designers need to ‘support a wide range of technologies, to accommodate diverse users and to help users brides the gap between what they know and what they need to know.’”
Web Style Guide, 3rd Edition
...is informed by
Accessibility
Usability
Universal Design
UNIVERSAL USABILITY
ACCESSIBILITY1999: World Wide Web Consortium establishes the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
Promotes best practices to make the web accessible to people with disabilities.
Ensures that the tools and technologies that designers need are available to create designs that work in different contexts.
Basically refers to how well a site can be used by as many people as possible.
USABILITYArises from User Centered Design (UCD).
Includes a broad and inclusive view of the user.
UNIVERSAL DESIGNNot just alternative designs to meet specific needs.
Accounts for users of all ages, experience levels, and physical or sensory limitations.
The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.
The Principles of
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Size and Space for Approach and UseAppropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s body size, posture, or mobility.
Low Physical EffortThe design can be used e!ciently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.
Tolerance for ErrorThe design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
Equitable UseThe design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
Perceptible InformationThe design communicates necessary information e"ectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.
Simple and Intuitive UseUse of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or education level.
Flexibility in UseThe design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
Powered door with sensors is convenient for all shoppers, especially if hands are full.
A sequential-trip trigger on a nail gun requires the user to 1 activate the safety before 2 pulling the trigger, minimizing accidents that occur when a user accidentally hits an object or person while pulling the trigger.
Large-grip scissors accommodates use with either hand and allows alternation between the two in highly repetitive tasks.
Small bumps on a cell phone keypad tell the user where
important keys are without requiring the user to look at the keys.
Door lever does not require grip strength to operate, and can even be operated by a closed fist or elbow.
Wide gates at subway stations accommodate wheelchair users as well as commuters with packages or luggage.
2
Public emergency stations utilize recognized emergency colors and a simple design to quickly convey function to passers-by.
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Universal Design
Web:design.ncsu.edu/cud
E-mail:[email protected]
500 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $1.34 each. >�Recycled paper and soy-based inks
Center for Universal Designat NC State
As per Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University’s College of Design(www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/about_udprinciples.htm)
UNIVERSAL DESIGN PRINCIPLESThese are most applicable to the web.
#1 EQUITABLE USE“The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities. Provide the same means of use for all users: identical whenever possible; equivalent when not.”
#2 FLEXIBILITY IN USE“The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. Provide choice in methods of use.”
#3 SIMPLE AND INTUITIVE USE“Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level. Eliminate unnecessary complexity and arrange information consistent with its importance.”
#4 PERCEPTIBLE INFORMATION“The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities. Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information and provide compatibility with a variety of techniques or devices used by people with sensory limitations.”
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES1 in 5 people in the United States.
Number of people with disabilities rose 25% in last decade.
In 2010 21.5 million people were visually impaired or blind.
Visual impairments
Hearing impairments
Mobile impairments
Cognitive impairments
TYPES OF DISABILITIES
STANDARD
HIGH- CONTRAST TEXT
ENLARGED TEXT
WITHOUT STYLING
DESIGNING FOR SCREEN READERS
JAWSScreen reading software.
JAWS SAMPLE
USE DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGSHelps users understand page structures.
Screen readers don’t look at web pages, they read HTML code.
Can call up a list of on page headings and jump to the section of a page
Here’s what this headings box for the BBC homepage looks like in JAWS, one of the most popular screen readers:
WRITE DESCRIPTIVE LINK TEXTScreen reader users can call up a list of on page links.
Avoid “Click Here”, “Read More”
Here’s what this links list dialog displays for the BBC homepage in JAWS:
PROVIDE INFORMATION IN LISTSScreen readers call out the number of items in each list before reading them, much like an answering machine.
Mark up is in code <li> tag
USE LOGICAL LINEARIZATIONScreen readers read top to bottom, left to right.
Avoid putting important information at the bottom (e.g. instructions for forms).
USE SHORT SUCCINCT ALT TEXTALT text is a description of the images on a page that screen readers read aloud.
Use succinct text to avoid long drawn out speech.
WRITE SHORT PARAGRAPHSConclusion first, followed by the what, why, when where and how.
This allows users to quickly understand what the paragraph is about.
This benefits sighted users as well.
WRITE DESCRIPTIVE PAGE TITLESThis is the first thing a screen reader user hears.
Helps orient the user.
COLOR BLINDNESSInability to perceive difference between some colors.
Affects 5 to 8% of males, 0.5% of females (Wikipedia).
Safest colors to use are black and white.
Use colors for emphasis, not visual cues.
Provide redundant cues (textures, text labels).
normal
protanopia-red green
deuteranopia - red green
tritanopia - blue yellow
Sales by product
Sales by product
This is difficult to read.
This is easy to read.
ACCESSIBILITY RESOURCES
Usability.govUniversal Design
WORKSHOP # 1 TEST SITEPlease go into the group you worked with when creating personas.
AFTER CREATING PROTOTYPE: Do a prototype test with another groupMake improvements with original group
FORMS
SIGN UP FORMSRemove ALL barriers to account creation.
Don’t make them recreate what they’ve already done.
WHY FORMS EXISTEvery form exists for one of three main reasons:
- Commerce
- Community
- Productivity
Web From Design: Filling in the Blanks, Luke Wroblewski
Uses of forms, based on Luke Wroblewski’s Web Form Design: Filling in the Blanks.
RELATIONSHIPA form is a way to establish a relationship with
the user and the organization.
TRUSTAchieved through logo, color, typography, and wording.
GOALSWhat is the goal of the form?
PURPOSEBase the name of the form on its purpose so users know what and why.
APPROPRIATE LANGUAGEBalance business needs with user needs.
NO SUPERFLUOUS QUESTIONSToo many questions cause user to question motivation.
NO SUDDEN CHANGE...in behavior or appearance – will make the user anxious.
Make it easy for registered users to log in and for new users to register
Simplify the process for registered and new customers
CONVERSATIONA form is a two-way conversation between
the user and the organization.
CONVERSE, DON’T INTERROGATEAvoid aggressive wording.
ORDER LABELS LOGICALLYShould reflect the flow of a conversation.
MORE INVOLVED QUESTIONS...should come towards the end.
GROUP RELATED INFORMATIONAddress one topic at a time.
Groups are related through purple headings and fine lines
Content is related, but the groups are separated too much. Potential for confusion.
ONE AT A TIMEThe flow from one set of questions to the next should resemble a conversation.
REMOVE CLUTTERBanners, unnecessary navigation, anything that might distract.
Effective use of white space
Tone is appealing, form has no superfluous questions
Labels – tell users what the input fields meanInput Fields – text fields, password fields, check boxes, radio buttons, sliders, etcActions – when clicked these perform an action, such as submitting a formHelp – provides assistance on how to fill out the formMessages – provides feedback based on user inputValidation – ensures that data inputted conforms to acceptable parameters
6 COMPONENTS OF FORMS
#1 LABELSWords vs sentences
Try to use words, but if needed, add a phrase to eliminate ambiguity
Sentence case vs. title case
Sentence case is slightly easier to read
AVOID ALL CAPS AS THEY ARE HARD TO SCAN
Pretty, but difficult to scan
Individual words would have sufficed
#2 INPUT FIELDSDon’t invent new fields – simple is best
Distinguish which input fields are required – convention is an asterisk *
Colons at the end of a label – matter of preference
Top vs left vs right alignment of labels- each has advantages and disadvantages
Vertical: when user types data their eyes are fixed across the vertical axis at the left to the input field
Eye needs to jump from one field to the other. Too much distraction.
SELECT MENUSMany choices in a small space.
Hard to use especially when there are many choices.
Easier to enter state or country code than to choose.
RADIO BUTTONSEasy to scan.
But if list is long, it’s hard for user to scan
Limit to groups of four to six options.
CHECK BOXESAllow for multiple selections.
Use single checkboxes for binary choices (yes, no).
#3 ACTIONSAvoid generic words like “Submit” as they lend a generic impression of the form.
Use descriptive words such as “Join LinkedIn”.
PRIMARY VS. SECONDARYPrimary actions are links and buttons that perform essential “final” functionality (Save, Submit).
Secondary actions allow users to retract data that they have entered (Back, Cancel).
These should have less visual weight than primary actions as they have undesired consequences.
Imagine clicking “Reset Form” by accident
“Register with us” would have been more helpful than submit
#4 HELPYou should never have to explain how to use a form!
Use accompanying copy only where needed:
Such as WHY you need their phone number;
How a birth date will be used;
Link to Terms & conditions.
Copy is usually ignored so may it short and sweet.
Show an icon that users can click if they need help.
Both user-triggered help and dynamic help
dynamic help
user-triggered help
#5 MESSAGESError message – emphasize through color, recognizable
icons, placement, large font or a combination.
Success message - use to notify users they have reached a
meaningful milestone.
Encourages user to continue a filling out a lengthy form.
#6 VALIDATIONUse only where needed – excessive validation is as bad as
none.
Use only to confirm key points, ensuring realistic answers
and suggesting responses.
Use smart defaults – helps make the completion of the form
faster and more accurate
Pre-select user’s country based on IP address.
Uses dynamic validation and smart defaults
dynamic help{smart default
FORMS: THINGS TO CONSIDERWhat you call the sign up form.
Where do you place the link?
If a user can’t find a sign up form, they can’t sign up!
Over 75% of websites place it in header.
Over 21% find a prominent place on the homepage.
Rarely placed in the sidebar.
5%2%
40%
18%
18%
17%
Create Account Register Join Sign Up Start Here Other
BOTTOM LINE ON SIGN UP FORMSThe registration link is titled “sign up” (40%) and placed in the right upper corner.Sign-up forms have a simplified layout to avoid distractions for users (61%).Sign-up forms are one-page-forms (93%).
Sign up forms attract visitors by explaining the benefits of registration (41%).
BOTTOM LINE ON SIGN UP FORMSTitles of the input fields are highlighted bold (62%).
No trend in the label alignment can be identified.
Designers tend to use few mandatory fields.
Designers tend to use few optional fields.
Vertically arranged fields are preferred to horizontally arranged fields (86%).
http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2008/07/04/web-form-design-patterns-sign-up-forms/
FURTHER READINGForms That Work: Designing Web Forms for Usability,
Caroline Jarrett and Gerry Gaffney
Web Form Design, Filling in the Blanks, Luke Wroblewski
Signup Forms - Luke Wroblewski
Please divide into three groups.
Design a web page for delivering the US CensusWhat special considerations will you make for business and user needs?Sketch quickly, write legiblyTry to approximate actual size of objects and fontsYou have 20 minutesHint: It’s probably some kind of form
WORKSHOP #4 US CENSUS
Considerations:
The census site must gather the following: • Name • Gender • Age • What the participant’s relationship to the householder is
Are there any special considerations to make towards business objectives? How will the information be used or processed?
What affordances/signifiers will you make in your design to accommodate diverse populations?
What happens after the form is submitted?
WORKSHOP #4 US CENSUS
Definition of householder:
The householder refers to the person (or one of the people) in whose name the housing unit is owned or rented (maintained) or, if there is no such person, any adult member, excluding roomers, boarders, or paid employees.
If the house is owned or rented jointly by a married couple, the householder may be either the husband or the wife. The person designated as the householder is the "reference person" to whom the relationship of all other household members, if any, is recorded.
The number of householders is equal to the number of households. Also, the number of family householders is equal to the number of families.Source: http://www.census.gov/population/www/cps/cpsdef.html
WORKSHOP #4 US CENSUS
EMOTION AND DESIGN
PRETTY THINGS WORK BETTER.
Norman D., 2004 Emotional Design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things
Reflective
Behavioral
Visceral
DESIGN PROCESSING
Self-image
Memories
Usefulness
Performance
Appearance
Modified from Norman D., 2004 Emotional Design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things
VISCERAL LEVELAutomatic, biological, universal.
Attractive faces,symmetrical objects, round objects, soothing colors and sounds.
Design implications in images, graphics, visual design, aesthetics.
FRIENDLY FACESWe are drawn to friendly authentic faces. Not stock images.
Don’t use stock images.
WOMEN
Men
MEN
BEHAVIORAL LEVELPerformance - how well a product works.
Usefulness - how useful is a product.
Function rules!
Usability is king!
BEHAVIORAL DESIGNis user friendly
http://www.mamamarketing.nl/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/hakken.jpg
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REFLECTIVE LEVELStays long than visceral level.
Sense of exclusivity.
Sensitive to experiences, training, education.
Cultural differences relevant.
WHAT DOES THIS PRODUCT SAY ABOUT ME?
Behavioral Reflective
COLOR EFFECTS EMOTION
CULTURAL COLOR THEORYRed - China, prosperity, happiness/South Africa, mourning
Yellow - Egypt, mourning/Japan, courage
Green - Middle East luck/Indonesia, forbidden color
Black - China, trust, high quality
FURTHER READINGThinking Fast and Slow, Kahneman, D. 2011
Emotional Design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things, Norman, D. 2004
Designing for the Social Web, Porter, J. 2008
Mental Models: Aligning Design Strategy with Human Behavior, Young, I. 2008
Neuro Web Design, Weinschenk, Ph.D., 2009
Break into three groups:
Find 3 sites that play well on emotions through design.
WORKSHOP #2 EMOTION & DESIGN