Download Practical_tips_on_user_friendly_web_design

Practical Tips for User Friendly Web Design
Kirsti Mijnhijmer
22 April 2009, Copenhagen
Summary Parts 1 & 2

Projects have a communication strategy, which forms an integral part
of project implementation

Project websites meet the EU publicity requirements

Project websites focus on project outcomes: products/services:




Attributes are clearly defined (marketing arguments)
Project websites demonstrate what is under development
The operation/cooperation is of secondary importance
Project websites demonstrate the business potential of products/services and by that
demonstrate their viability
Summary Parts 1 & 2

Project websites are adapted to different target audiences:


Project websites keep the goals of their end users in mind
Project websites reassure end users that they will get what they are looking for

Project websites justify the invested funding

Project websites make a professional impression
How to Plan your Website

Start from your communication strategy



Define the goal of your website




What are your communication objectives
How does the website fit in the strategy in relation to other tools/measures
A goal is a state of being, not a state of doing
Simple, realistic, specific
Visualise, methods for measuring success
Define target groups


User needs
Reassure your users
How to Plan your Website

Plan your website on paper

Structure your content

Design your website to meet the needs of your users

Assign staff resources to content/editing

Contract web designer: draft specifications

Budget + timeframe

Testing/monitoring
Staff Resources

Assign a person/team responsible for collecting copy, drafting/editing
texts, operating Content Management System.

Set up routines for editorial review

To outsource or not to outsource


Be realistic about staff resources in terms of skills and time
Remember resources available in your own organisations
Testing/Monitoring

Keep track of website statistics (e.g. Google Analytics)



Overall visitor numbers (progress, need for more promotion, etc.)
Who are your visitors and how did they find you
Which pages/sections are most visited

It is worth testing usability and user satisfaction

Testing can also be useful to get to know your target audience
Also Consider

Usability: optimising user experience such as ease of use of a website,
efficiency, ease of learning, minimising mistakes, minimising irritation

Accessibility: making a website available to the widest possible audience.

Writing for the Web: different from conventional writing styles

Features: different types of website applications: relevance for users

Web 2.0: new generation of user controlled web applications
Usability

Usability is the quality of a user's experience when interacting for
example with a website.

It is a combination of factors:






Ease of learning
Efficiency of use
Memorability
Error frequency
User satisfaction (important to avoid irritation)
Applies to design, navigation, content, functionality of features, etc.
Writing for the web

People do not read online texts, they scan:




Start with the conclusion: inverted pyramid
Use headings and sub headings that make sense
Use bullets and white space
Users read in an F-shaped pattern: the first 2 matter (words, lines, paragraphs)

Write concise

Wording



Use objective language: credibility
Use plain English (or any other language): do not use jargon, acronyms, and do not be
afraid of using simplified language.
Use style guides e.g. BBC
Web 2.0

New generation of user-designed/controlled web applications:


Advantages:



E.g. social networking sites (Facebook, LinkedIn), blogs (Twitter), Wikipedia, etc.
Generally cheap in use
Very popular and very versatile
Worth considering:



Need to fit with your overall communication strategy and target groups: not ad hoc
Do not overcommit yourself : very time consuming
Could backfire! You could lose credibility
Summary

Plan your website carefully:






Goal
Target groups
Staff resources
Budget + time
Testing/monitoring
Consider:





Usability
Accessibility
Writing for the web
Features
Web 2.0
Discussion Points

To outsource or not to outsource: what are your views/experiences?

How can I improve the usability of my project website? Which elements
spoil a user’s experience of my project website?
Thank You for Listening!
www.northernperiphery.eu
References

Ben Hunt, 2008, “Save the Pixel. The Art of Simple Web Design”,
www.savethepixel.org

Usability:



Norman Nielsen Group, www.nngroup.com
Ivana Doulgerof, Management Organisation Unit, Ministry of Economy and Finance,
Greece
Accessibility: World Wide Web consortium (W3C), www.w3.org