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This document is currently under review. The content remains applicable until a new version is available, however it may contain references to information that may have been superseded. 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: 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. 1 2 http://www.usability.gov/basics/index.html 2 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: 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: 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: 3 http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030825.html 4 http://www.usabilityfirst.com/about-usability/introduction-to-user-centered-design/ 5 http://www.usability.gov/basics/ucd/index.html 6 http://www.usability.gov/methods/process.html 7 http://www.usability.gov/methods/test_refine/learnusa/index.html 3 Developing a test plan Creating test task scenarios Choosing participants Test setup Conducting the usability test Collecting data Data analyses and reporting Resources 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] 4