Title: WEB-BASED%20STYLE%20GUIDES
1- Using the New Usability
- Guidelines Book
- Department of Energy
- interLab 2006
- October 25, 2006
- ------------------------------------------------
- Nicole Burton
- General Services Administration
2Introduction
- My background
- How I became a usability specialist
3Our Objective
- To build practical design skills
- To enhance our community of practice
- Guidelines book should not be shelf-ware!
4What Well Cover
- Introduction to User-Centered Design and
Guidelines book - Selected guidelines
- Best Practices and Usability Resources
- The 4 Es (plus the 5th E)
- Discussion
- Raffle two Guidelines books
5? What Is Usability?
- Usability Fitness to Purpose
- The quality of a user's experience when
interacting with a product or system a website,
a software application, mobile technology, or any
user-operated product. - User-Centered Design
- UCD is a flexible yet structured development
methodology driven by specified, task-oriented
business goals, and the recognition of user
needs, limitations, and preferences
6What does Usability Measure?
- Usefulness
- Degree to which users can successfully achieve
goals/complete tasks - Ease of Use
- Ability of users to accomplish goals with speed
ease - Ease of Learning
- Ability to operate the system to some defined
level of competence after some predetermined
amount of training - Satisfaction
- Attitude of users, including perceptions,
feelings and opinions of the product
7User-Centered Design Model
Define
Design
8The Traditional Development Process
9Why Is Usability Important to Government?
- Federal Government largest single producer,
collector, consumer, and disseminator of
information in the world - Government provides critical informationbenefits,
health info, safety alerts, commerce, education - 97 million adult Americans, or 77 of Internet
users, took advantage of e-gov in 2003, whether
that meant going to government websites or
emailing government officials. This represented a
growth of 50 from 2002. (Pew Internet in
American Life, 2003)
10Why Is Usability Important?
11FedBizOps.gov
12(No Transcript)
13Usability.gov
14Research-Based Guidelines
15Guideline Categories
Design Process and Evaluation Optimizing the User Experience Accessibility Hardware and Software The Homepage Page Layout Navigation Scrolling and Paging Headings, Titles, Labels Links Text Appearance Lists Screen-Based Controls (Widgets) Graphics, Images, Multimedia Writing Web Content Content Organization Search Usability Testing
16Chapter 1 Design Process and Evaluation
1711 Provide Useful Content
Importance
Evidence
Guideline Provide content that is engaging,
relevant, and appropriate to the audience.
1813 Understand and Meet Users Expectations
Importance
Evidence
Guideline Ensure the Web site format meets user
expectations, especially related to navigation,
content, and organization.
1914 Involve Users in Establishing User
Requirements
Importance
Evidence
Sources 7
- Field studies/Contextual interviews
(watching users doing real work onsite)
www.sitepoint.com/article/contextual-enquiry-pr
imer - User interviews/user gatherings
- Surveys focus groups
- Help desk logs webmaster E-mail
- Search logs and Web analytics
2015 Set and State Goals
Importance
Evidence
Sources 3
Guideline Identify and clearly articulate the
primary goals of the website before beginning the
design process. Before starting design work,
identify primary goals of the website (educate,
inform, entertain, sell, etc.). Goals determine
the audience, content, function, and the sites
unique look and feel. Communicate the goals to,
and develop consensus for the site goals from,
management and those working on the website.
2115 Set and State Goals
Importance
Evidence
Sources 3
- A technique for expressing this on your site
goal statement or tagline - Clearly explain what you do
- Describe your primary audience
- Describe what makes you unique amongst your
competitors
22Importance
15 Set and State Goals
Evidence
Sources 3
23Importance
15 Set and State Goals
Evidence
Sources 3
24111 Use Personas
Importance
Evidence
Sources 3
25Importance
111 Use Personas
Evidence
Sources 3
- Persona Information Categories
- Personal Characteristics (Name, Age,
Sex, Marital Status, Vehicle, Photograph) - Experience and Education
- Goals and Motivations
- Job Role
- User Needs Design Implications
26Importance
111 Use Personas
Evidence
Sources 3
- Personas focus attention on specific users
- Personas reduce self-referential decisions
- Personas are a good team-building exercise
- Three to five personas is optimal
- Designate a primary persona
- Visibly display personas as posters
27Chapter 2 Optimizing the User Experience
2822 Increase Web Site Credibility
Importance
Evidence
Sources 4
- A physical address is provided on the homepage
and all major points of entry - Frequently asked questions are provided AND are
useful
2922 Increase Web Site Credibility
Importance
Evidence
Sources 4
www.firstgov.gov/webcontent/getting_started/namin
g/sponsorship.shtml
3022 Increase Web Site Credibility
Importance
Evidence
Sources 4
- Organization providing the information is highly
visible - Site is arranged in a logical way
- Provides phone numbers
- Dates are provided up-front and are kept current
31Chapter 3 Accessibility
32Government Best Practices
www.firstgov.gov/webcontent/reqs_bestpractices.sht
ml
3333 Do Not Use Color Alone to Convey Information
Importance
Evidence
Sources 14
34Importance
33 Do Not Use Color Alone to Convey Information
Evidence
Sources 14
As seen by non-colorblind users.
35Importance
33 Do Not Use Color Alone to Convey Information
Evidence
Sources 14
As seen by 5 of the population.
363.3 Do Not Use Color Alone
Imporance
Evidence
Sources 14
X This information is required.
37Chapter 4 Hardware and Software
3841 Design for Common Browsers
Importance
Evidence
Sources 4
thecounter.com, August 2006
3941 Design for Common Browsers
Importance
Evidence
Sources 4
webusability.com
4041 Design for Common Browsers
Importance
Evidence
Sources 4
41Chapter 5 The Homepage
42Importance
52 Show All Major Options on the Homepage
Evidence
Sources 4
All major topic areas and categories are
presented at the homepage level.
43Importance
52 Show All Major Options on the Homepage
Evidence
Sources 4
44Importance
53 Create a Positive First Impression
Evidence
Sources 4
Updated as of 5/30/05
45Importance
53 Create A Positive First Impression
Evidence
Sources 4
DOE Office of Health, Safety Security
46Chapter 6 Page Layout
4763 Place Important Items at Top Center
Importance
Evidence
Sources 10
1
3
2
4
4863 Place Important Items at Top Center
Importance
Evidence
Sources 10
49Chapter 9 Headings, Titles, and Labels
50Importance
Evidence
91 Use Clear Category Labels
Sources 7
Link labels are clear and distinct, allowing
users to distinguish paths quickly.
51Importance
91 Use Clear Category Labels
Evidence
Sources 7
Matching Labels
52Chapter 10 Links
53Importance
Evidence
101 Use Meaningful Link Labels
Sources 7
54Chapter 15 Writing Web Content
55153 Use Familiar Words
Importance
Evidence
Sources 1
56Chapter 16 Content Organization
57Importance
161 Organize Information Clearly
Evidence
Sources 18
Illustrates the ten steps
58Importance
161 Organize Information Clearly
Evidence
Sources 18
59Importance
161 Organize Information Clearly
Evidence
Sources 18
60Importance
162 Facilitate Scanning
Evidence
Sources 16
61Chapter 17 Search
62Importance
Evidence
18 Be Easily Found in the Top 10
Sources 16
63172 Ensure Usable Search Results
Importance
Evidence
Sources 7
64174 Provide a Search Option on Each Page
Importance
Evidence
Sources 7
?
65174 Provide a Search Option on Each Page
Importance
Evidence
Sources 7
Provide at least 36 characters in Search Box
?
66181 Use an Iterative Design Approach
Importance
Evidence
Sources 9
Guideline Develop and test prototypes through
an iterative design approach to create the most
useful and usable website. Iterative design
consists of creating paper and software
prototypes, testing the prototypes, and then
making changes based on the test results. The
test and make changes process is repeated until
the website meets performance benchmarks
(usability goals). When these goals are met,
the iterative process ends. Software tools are
available to assist and facilitate the
development of prototypes. Establish an ongoing
evaluation strategy (customer satisfaction,
usability testing, etc.).
67Usability Objectives
- Ease of Use Examples
- At least 95 of typical users will complete a
specific task (find a clinical trial) in less
than three minutes - At least 90 of users will find information on a
specific topic (risks related to taking
aspirin) within 30 seconds - The average time to complete a particular task
(make an airline reservation) will be 10
faster when using the revised website than when
using the current website
68World Usability Day Chicago-11/14/2006
- www.worldusabilityday.org/event/show/63
695 Es of Implementation
- Education
- Enforcement
- Exemption
- Enhancement
- Empowerment
701st E Education
- Use the guidelines to make design decisions
- Share and discuss the info with your colleagues
- Available at www.usability.gov/pdfs/guidelines.htm
l - Use research to support your viewpoint
- Educate us Send feedback on how youre using it
or additional research
71Webcontent.gov, Web Manager University,
Usability.gov, Guidelines Book
722nd E Enforcement
- Incorporate the guidelines in your design process
- Create a culture that emphasizes the value of
research (over opinion) - Ensure research is being used
- Dont forget to verify their use
- Balanced with
733rd E Exemption
- Balanced with Enforcement
- Do not let guidelines stifle creativity
- Encourage innovation not anticipated by existing
research - Allow for exceptions
- Dont ignore what you know about your users
744th E Enhancement
- A living document in a fast-changing field
- Biennial updates
- Customize Add local standards, guidelines,
best practices
755th E Empowerment
- IT Spending 50 of Federal budget
- Do your tax dollars support usable design?
- We are the stakeholders!
- Government can lead the way (i.e. Internet)
- Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed people can change the world. Indeed, it
is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead
76Contact Information
- Nicole.Burton_at_gsa.gov
- General Services Administration (GSA), FirstGov
Division,Web Best Practices Group - (202) 219-0820