Download Web Site Design III

Designing Basic Web Sites III:
Interface Design
Based on Web Style Guide, Lynch and Horton
2001 www.webstyleguide.com
Technical Communication Fall 2006, DAHMEN
Print design adopted to the Web
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Basic standards still apply:
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Address your audience
Identify the source/who is speaking
Provide titles and visual hierarchy
Keep content up to date/ dated
Identify the source/home page
What every page needs
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Informative title
Author’s identity
Creation/revision date
Link to home page or menu page
« home page » URL
Identity
Standards in navigation and icons
Feedback
Nav.
aid
Bottom of page
Alternative text-based navigation
Date
Conditions
Certificates
Basics of User-centered Design
Clear navigation
You are HERE
Apple uses 4 different navigation structure on this page
Avoid Dead End docs
Other points to keep in mind…
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Direct access
Bandwidth/interaction
Simplicity and consistency
Design integrity and stability
Feedback and Dialogue
What about accessibility?
« One of the defining principles of the Web is
that it should provide allpeople; regardless of
physical or technological readienss, with
access to information »
--Horton and Lynch, p. 26
Aspects of Accessibility
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Provide alternates and fallbacks
Use style sheets (CSS)
Follow accessibility guidelines
New AUI homepage displays accessibility
info
Alternative navigation
Meets accessibility standards
Issues in Navigation
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Context (see Apple example)
Allow going back
Provide a sense of location in sequence
Horton and Lynch, 32
Page Bottom
Navigation
Date
Certifications
Feedback