USABILITY WHAT IS USABILITY AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOU?
STUDIOK&M THE DESIGN & USABILITY EXPERTS
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WHAT IS USABILIT Y?
USABILITY MEANS THAT SOMEONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND ACCOMPLISH A TASK INTUITIVELY WITHOUT THOUGHT OR FRUSTRATION.
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FORM VS FUNCTION
Sure, both of these tea pots are nice to look at, but which one is more useable? Usability is all about the experience, be it in a tea salon or on the web. www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076
DON’T MAK E ME THINK. Steve Krug’s first law of usability states that a web page should be obvious and selfexplanatory. Be sure the navigation and site structure are intuitive. Have visual clues and easily recognizable links so that users can find what they are looking for.
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THINGS THAT MAKE US THINK
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Where do I start? What do they do? Clever names/Marketing induced names Links that are not self evident Navigation in non traditional places Where’s the contact info? Where do I sign in?
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WHAT DO USERS LOOK FOR IN A WEBSITE?
WEB USABILIT Y
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Ease of use Speed Practicality Credibility Consistency Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? With billions of websites on the internet today, your competitors are only a click away. If you don’t help your users accomplish their goals, they are bound to head straight to your competitor. A usable website creates trust in your customers and a sense of satisfaction.
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YOU HAVE LESS THAN
T WO MINUTES TO COMMUNICATE THE FIRST TIME A PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMER VISITS YOUR WEBSITE. Every page must justify its claim on their time. If a page doesn’t do that immediately and clearly, users go elsewhere. Most don’t even bother scrolling to see what’s further down the page.
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NAVIGATION Your navigation system should be simple and clear. Your users should not have to ask the following questions:
Where am I? Where should I begin? Where did they put ______? What are the most important things on this page? Why did they call it that? www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076
WHERE DOES THIS LINK GO?
IMPROVING NAVIGATION •
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Users must be able to predict what will happen if a link is clicked and determine whether or not it takes them to their goal. Information should be organized in a logical manner. The language and organization of the navigational path must match the user’s expectations and needs The use of ambiguous links can cause the user to go to the wrong page. The use of nonstandard links can cause confusion.
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MORE THAN 83% OF INTERNET USERS ARE LIKELY TO LEAVE A WEB SITE IF THEY FEEL THEY HAVE TO MAKE TOO MANY CLICKS TO FIND WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR. -Arthur Andersen, 2001 www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076
USABILIT Y TIPS
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Know your end user Abbreviate your copy-make it scannable Use short & concise phrases Use plain & objective language Use bullet points Let users know why they should use your service Let users know why should they stay on your site Use hierarchy Categorize the content Use spell check Test your site Check for consistency: fonts, styling, formatting, window titles, link colors Be sure your site loads quickly
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MORE USABILITY TIPS DON’T • • • • • •
Use pop-ups Don’t change user’s window size Don’t use too small font size Don’t use horizontal scrolling Don’t create a site that requires instructions on how to browse Don’t make people wait
FREE E XPERT USA BILIT Y RE VIE WS STUDIOK&M THE DESIGN & USABILITY EXPERTS
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Schedule a 30 minute free telephone review Email: cathline@studiokandm.com Read our blog for usability & design tips: studiokandm.com/blog Follow us on Twitter for usability & design tips: twitter.com/studiokandm www.studiokandm.com | info@studiokandm.com | 212.987.0076