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Usability is both a subjective and objective measure that takes many
things into account...
 | The mission of the web site -- what is it supposed to do (inform,
sell, entertain, etc.). |
| The needs of end users of (visitors to) the web site -- what are
they looking for, what do they want, what technology skills do they possess. |
| Industry trends -- what is everyone else doing. |
| Technology including browsers, bandwidth, and servers in terms of
capability, availability, and versions. |
While everyone may differ on what the specifics are for assessing
usability, the following are some of the considerations that can be applied:
| Corporate /
Developer Perspective |
| Overall
Site (mission) |
| Site has explicit, or at least "very
intuitive", defined purpose (to inform, sell, entertain,
etc.). |
| Site is representative of the corporate mission
(or at least those elements who desire to be part of the web
site). |
| Owners of the site are clearly identified (on
home page or easily accessible page). |
|
| Site
Design (navigation) |
| All pages can access the "home page". |
| Site-level navigation structures (buttons,
links) on pages are consistent and relatively easy to follow
(subjective). |
| Page by page, navigation structures present
top-level and child-views of information. |
| Top-level pages should be accessible from all
pages and include: search, contact, site map, and other general
features. |
| Search should be available to the home page. |
| "Previous page"," back", or
"up" are available for pages other than the home page. |
| Links should be clearly labeled and specific. |
| Avoid use of "click here" for links,
be specific. |
| No "under construction" pages. |
| Image maps should be clearly defined as
containing links. |
|
| Content |
Scannability
| Scannability is stressed (the user is able to
understand the gist of the content without reading everything,
by rapidly "scanning" the document). |
| Lead with conclusions. Support
conclusions with following text. |
| Use headlines, bullets, bolding to highlight
key points. |
| Use short paragraphs whenever possible. |
| Do not wrap columns. |
Media Use
| Large blocks of text (e.g., stories intended
for printing) are broken down appropriately (e.g., natural
breaks by chapter, section) into separate pages. |
| Graphics should be integral to the
content (i.e., support the message). |
| Graphics should be captioned. |
| Audio and video files should be treated as
secondary content (supportive to text and graphics). |
|
| Layout
(text and graphic formatting) |
| Aggregate page file size is 30-40 (max) Kb for
home page; with 10 KB increases for layers of the site. |
| Liquid layout over fixed width and height. |
| A consistent font (type, size, style) is used
across the site. |
| Maximum contrast between text and background. |
| Preferred: dark text on light backgrounds. |
| Avoid "too many" (no more than 8 or
so) colors (backgrounds, icons, buttons, etc.). Note: does
not apply to images such as photographs or logos. |
| Avoid large pure-color segments (e.g., pure
red, green, blue). |
| Backgrounds, logos, and other common elements
should be consistently applied across all pages in the site. |
| Keep backgrounds subtle; they should not
dominate the page. |
| Use tables to support layout of text and
graphics. |
| Take advantage of table formatting (border
widths, cell backgrounds, etc.) to make tables visually
appealing. |
| Images should be in proper format (GIF/JPEG)
and optimized for size and positioning. |
| ALT tags are used for images. |
| Avoid horizontal scrolling to present
information. |
|
| Home Page |
| "Home" page is clearly identified. |
| Clearly states the purpose of the site. |
| Home page should "sell the site" --
i.e., assume that home page is the only chance to
"sell" the visitor on site value. |
| Navigation on home page should include broadest
possible view of site content. |
| Do not depend on navigation listings (e.g.,
links to other pages) to describe" the site. |
| Key points are above the "fold"
(i.e., above the bottom of the window). |
|
| Technology |
Server
| Operating system is most current and all
service packs installed. |
| Security features are enabled. |
| Security access should only be used when it is
essential to protect communication (e.g., exchange of payment
information, confidential corporate information). |
| Secure access pages should never be accessible
without proper authorization. |
| Site responds to "www.acme.com" or
"acme.com". |
| Server supports traffic (i.e., minimal delays,
responsiveness). |
Browser
| If a specific browser is required, state this
and be prepared to directly support users (e.g., tell them how
to get it, install it, why it is necessary). |
| If plug-ins or ActiveX (e.g., Flash, Acrobat)
is used, be prepared to support the user (see previous). |
| Build site to at least the last major browser
revision (e.g., if Version 6 is out, build to at version 5). |
| Avoid browser specific layout/formatting. |
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| End User /
Visitor Perspective |
| Browser
(brand, version, running mode) |
| Site should not require visitor to install a
new browser just for "browsing" (using is different,
e.g., Intranet). |
| Site does not use of
special/unique security certificates, plug-ins/ActiveX, and
other add-ons (note: this does not include standard SSL and
commercial security certificates). |
| Browser does not have to be full-screen to view
content (liquid layout). |
| Content should be viewable at 500 pixels by 400
pixels (assumes scroll bars). |
| Horizontal scrollbars will not be required if
screen is at 600+ pixels wide. |
|
| Bandwidth |
| Site should be responsive at 56kbps (ideally at
28 kbps) for "browsing". |
| Multimedia content should support bandwidths of
users (e.g., low (up to 56 kbps), medium (DSL), and high
(network). |
| User should be warned of large file sizes prior
to access. |
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| Understanding |
| Quick scan of home page enables understanding
of the web site and benefits. |
| Leading text is used to summarize key points;
following text supports opening statements. |
| Owners of the site are clearly identified. |
| Purpose, use, and operation of the site is
clear. |
| Acronyms are clearly defined. |
| Writing style and language (including technical
level) are appropriate to the typical visitor. |
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| Navigability |
| Site can be accessed via www.acme.com or
acme.com. |
| Link to home page and key pages (contact, site
map) are always available. |
| Links are explicit and easy to identify (i.e.,
you don't need to roll-over text to find a link). |
| Visited, unvisited links are clearly
identifiable. |
| Image maps and other "clickable"
graphic objects should be clearly identified. |
|
| Interaction
(multimedia, forms, interactive elements) |
Web Forms
| Form elements are clearly labeled with explicit
directions. |
| Local validation is used to verify fill-in
requirements and data typing. |
| Failure mode information (e.g., 800 phone
number, email address) should be provided if user entries cannot
be submitted or server fails. |
| Do not use web forms to access and send email
via the email client. |
Search Form
| Search feature should be available on the home
page. |
| Search results should only cover the current
site. |
Multimedia
| Do not use audio or video on the home page. |
| Downloading and viewing/listening should be at
the discretion of the visitor. |
Popup Windows
| Popup windows should be displayed when the
visitor elects, not upon page opening. |
| Popup windows (on the home page) and splash
screens will not be used. |
| Popup windows will have an explicit close
button. |
| Popup windows will not cover the primary
window. |
Interactive Elements
| Detailed instructions are available for
downloading and installing interactive elements. |
| Complete and detailed instructions will be
provided for using non-standard interactives (e.g., 360 panning
windows, special purpose plug-ins and ActiveX controls). |
| Alternative content or explanations will be
provided if interactive fails to load or run. |
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How to Apply the Above
| Review (visit, interact) a significant segment of the entire site. |
| Focus on the home page, common accessible pages (contact, site map, FAQs),
and other primary pages. Visit child levels to at least three layers. |
| Put yourself separately in the position of the developer/owner of the site
AND as a visitor to the site when reviewing the site. |
| Apply above criteria by...
 | Assigning a point value (e.g., 1 (fails to comply) to 5 (complies
completely) to each detailed item (third column). |
| Reviewing site based on major groupings (center column). |
| Roll assessment up to first column level. |
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