Designing a WebSite

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Designing a Web Site
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• Shneidermans Eight
• Golden Rules of
• Human
• Computer
• Interface
• Design

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Rule 1

• Strive for Consistency
• Color
• Layout
• Capitalization
• Fonts
• Sequence of actions

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Rule 2

• Enable frequent users to use shortcuts
• Design for quick navigation

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RULE 3

• Offer Informative Feedback
• Respond to user action in some way
• (Button will change color when rolled over to
  show user it is active)

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RULE 4

• Sequences of actions should have a beginning,
  middle, and end
• To ensure that user will get all intended
  information

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RULE 5

• Offer error prevention and simple error handling
• This is generally software generated

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RULE 6

• Permit easy reversal of actions
• Incorporate something other than the infamous
  Back button
• Create your own reversal and forward buttons

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RULE 7

• Experienced users want to be in control
• Allow user to read paragraph from beginning to
  end without embedded links
• Eliminate tedious sequences
• Make it easy to obtain information
• Prevent anxiety and dissatisfaction with your site

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RULE 8

• Reduce choices
• Limit choices to 5-7 at a time
• Make choices clearly visible by using menus and
  icons
• Avoid long lists

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Never Leave Anyone Alone With Only the Back Button

• Before you start the graphic design for your
  site, plan the information flow
• Give the user multiple choices for navigation
  make it easy for the user to get to the
  information they need
• Make it easy to get to any part of the web site
  from any page on your web site

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Backgrounds Need to SubtleGive Texture Not
Distracting
OR THIS ONE

• THIS ONE

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Avoid Long Lists of Links in Huge Bold Fonts

• Do not use fifteen feet of very large links with
  the words click here!
• Same information could fit into a neat table a
  few inches long
• Place links to places outside your site deep into
  your site so viewers have time to look at your
  content first.

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Bells and whistles can be irritating to the eye
Avoid excessive use of the following

• Blinking text
• Scrolling tickertapes
• Endlessly looping animated gifs
• Flashy large fonts
• Ask yourself. . .
• Do they add meaning or significance to what you
  are trying to say?
• Keep your web site rich in content, not hype

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Create a Sense of Place

• Use a banner or symbol repeated on every page
• Use color scheme consistent throughout the site
• Develop a distinct look viewers can expect on
  every page

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Use Friends as Guinea Pigs

• Have friends who have never seen your site look
  at it without guiding them through the pages
• Notice when and where they get lost
• Listen to their questions regarding navigation

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Become an Image Buster

• Use images wisely
• Large image files take a long time to download
• Reduce the size of graphics before using them

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Give Every Page Nutrients for Proper Growth
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Get Organized from the Start
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Keep your web site freshUpdate as often
as you canPeople are not going to come back to
see the same old stuff