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Website Usability Guidelines
Last updated May 2012
Website usability guidelines
This document forms part of the Website Guidelines (the Guidelines) suite of
documents that have been developed to assist agencies to consider key web related
issues in the Western Australian Government context.
The Guidelines are underpinned by the Website Governance Framework (the
Framework), as set out under the Public Sector Commissioner’s Circular 2009-02
Website Governance Framework. The Framework identifies a consistent approach
for the WA public sector to better manage websites from conception to retirement.
The Guidelines focus on non-technical issues and assume the reader has some
familiarity with basic web terminology and design. They are intended to act as a
ready-reference guide summarising key aspects of website issues. Links to other
resources that provide more comprehensive information have been included
throughout.
Introduction to 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.”1
Usability is a measure of how well users can learn and use a product to achieve their
goals and how satisfied they are with that process.
Usability is defined by a combination of factors including:
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Ease of learning: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first
time they encounter the design?
Efficiency of use: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they
perform tasks?
Memorability: When users return to the design after a period of not using it,
can they remember enough to use it effectively or do they have to start over
and learn everything again?
Error frequency and severity: How often do users make errors, how severe
are these errors, and how easily do users recover from these errors?
Subjective satisfaction: How much does the user like using the system2
Krug, S. (2006). Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability. USA: New
Riders.
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http://www.usability.gov/basics/index.html
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Importance of usability
Usability is an essential consideration when designing a website. If a website is
difficult to use and it doesn’t provide users with what they are looking for, they will
leave.3
Benefits of usability include:
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Websites and services that are much more effective
Increased user productivity and satisfaction
Increased user trust in the system
Reduction in development and maintenance costs
Implementing usability
User-centred design is a key approach for carrying out usability. It is the “process of
designing a tool, such as a website’s or application’s user interface, from the
perspective of how it will be understood and used by a human user.”4
User-centred design process
When designing a user-centred website it is important to consider the needs of your
users throughout each stage in the development of your website including:
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Planning your site
Collecting data from users
Developing prototypes
Writing content
Conducting usability testing5
Usability.gov provides a useful step-by-step visual map6 to guide developers through
the user-centred design process.
Usability testing
Usability testing is a technique used to evaluate a product by testing on users. In a
typical approach, users will perform standard Web site tasks while a team of
observers watch, listen and take notes.
Usability testing is one of the best ways to find out what is or isn’t working on your
website and determine the participant’s satisfaction with the product.
Usability.gov7 provides more detailed information on:
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http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.html
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http://www.usabilityfirst.com/about-usability/introduction-to-user-centered-design/
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http://www.usability.gov/basics/ucd/index.html
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http://www.usability.gov/methods/process.html
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http://www.usability.gov/methods/test_refine/learnusa/index.html
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Developing a test plan
Creating test task scenarios
Choosing participants
Test setup
Conducting the usability test
Collecting data
Data analyses and reporting
Resources
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Jakob Nielsen – http://www.useit.com/
Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines http://usability.gov/guidelines/guidelines_book.pdf
Usability First - http://www.usabilityfirst.com/
Usability.gov - http://www.usability.gov/
Further information
Department of Finance
Email: [email protected]
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