Making Usable Web Sites

Web sites should strive to be usable, meaning it meets the needs of their audience. A usable Web site about a University of Washington (UW) research project helps visitors to access information about the research and creates a favorable impression of the project as a whole.

Usability starts with arranging the site for its visitors, who may have different goals or interests than the project group. For example, a project group may have to design its site around the fact that its visitors are most interested in looking up phone numbers and researchers' vitae, even though the project group would rather highlight its conference papers.

Checking a Web site for usability usually involves testing it with representative users. Projects with large, complicated sites may wish to invest the resources in formal usability testing. See "UW Usability Resources" below for campus groups that may be willing to assist in arranging a usability study. All projects should at least have some users try out the site to see if major problems emerge.

General Tips on Usable Design

Although the usability of a site depends on its users, some common design principles may improve the usability of most sites. Some of these design guidelines include reducing download times, using a readable font, and using a consistent design theme. See Research-based Web Design and Usability Guidelines for other design tips.

One component of usability is accessibility. Every user should be able to perceive and interact with the site. If some critical piece of information, navigational element, or design feature is inaccessible to a user, the usability of the site will probably be reduced.

UW Usability Resources

The University of Washington has many Web and human resources for projects seeking to design usable Web sites. An excellent resource is the freeWeb page planning workshop, which is taught about once per quarter.

Campus groups that are interested in usability include:

• UWired Usability Committee
• Usability Research Group. Has its own usability lab, can teach groups to do their own usability research, and can consult on sites for a fee.
• Department of Technical Communication. Has its own usability lab and has expertise in usability.

Other Usability Resources

• National Cancer Institute: Improving the Communication of Cancer Research. This site is a must-see for research groups new to Web site development and usability. It is designed for people whose professional focus is scientific research but who must communicate their work over the Web.
• Usable Web. Usability expert Keith Instone's collection of usability links.
• useit.com. Usability expert Jakob Nielsen's collection of usability articles and links.
• Usability on the Web. About.com's collection of usability links.

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