| There are two main tasks involved in creating a | | | | Discovering Your Users |
| website, design and development, both of which are | | | | A website needs to be designed with the visitors in |
| made up of a number of smaller tasks. This article is | | | | mind, if what you produce is not what they desire |
| intended to give you a better understanding of what | | | | then your website can't be expected to become |
| is involved in website design and the smaller tasks it | | | | much of a success. It is crucial to do some research |
| is comprised of. | | | | or socialize with your clients and get to know what |
| What is Website Design? | | | | interests them most about your company, what are |
| Website design involves planning out everything | | | | their characteristics? Are they elderly, are they |
| related to your website and it is not something that | | | | teenagers, are they wealthy and typically have top |
| should be rushed or overlooked. Quality website | | | | of the line computers or are they deprived and likely |
| design will make the development of your website an | | | | have a sub-par computer or internet connection. This |
| effective and efficient process, not to mention that | | | | kind of information needs to be relayed to the |
| it will make your website far more successful in the | | | | designer(s), if there are particular things that, for the |
| long run. Website design is a collaborative process; | | | | users' sake, should be avoided on the completed |
| you need to work closely with the designer(s) and | | | | website it is essential to identify them in the design |
| your target audience to determine the best form | | | | phase rather than after the development phase is |
| that your website should take. | | | | complete. |
| During the design phase you should discover how | | | | One of the biggest complaints users will have, when |
| you are going to integrate a user-friendly interface | | | | it is an issue, is a slow-loading website. If you know |
| that provides excellent usability. You should also | | | | that your target audience generally won`t have the |
| research your target audience and discover who your | | | | best internet connection then you should avoid |
| users are truly going to be, what they want, and | | | | making your site too flashy and image heavy. Some |
| how they want it. After all, the users are the reason | | | | other great questions to ask yourself and/or your |
| you are creating a website and they are what will | | | | clients follow: |
| make it successful. If you design your website to suit | | | | - How tech savvy are they? |
| your needs and work in the way you want it to then | | | | - What browsers, software, and hardware will they |
| you may realize that what you produced is very | | | | have? |
| different from what your target audience desires. | | | | - What quality of internet connection will they have? |
| Research and collaboration are essential when it | | | | - How patient can you expect them to be when it |
| comes to successful website design. | | | | comes to accessing your website? |
| Usability | | | | - How much help must be made available for them? |
| Usability for your users is the key factor to keep in | | | | - Will they understand technical jargon? |
| mind when it comes to website design; usability is the | | | | - Do they speak fluent English? |
| ease of use of a website. Essentially good usability | | | | - What do users need and expect from the site? |
| will allow the user to access your website and do | | | | - What are their tasks and goals? |
| what they came to do without getting frustrated. | | | | - What information will they need and in what way |
| Navigating around and making use of the functionality | | | | would they want to receive it? |
| of a website should be made as easy as possible, | | | | Categorization |
| without simplifying to the point that the user can no | | | | There are essentially four different ways to |
| longer effectively and efficiently accomplish what | | | | categorize the content of your website: |
| they intended to do. Some examples of what causes | | | | |
| good and poor usability when it comes to a website | | | | 1. Hierarchical (certain pages lead to other specific |
| follow: | | | | pages) |
| Good Usability | | | | 2. Sequential (one page leads to the next page, in |
| - Fast page loading | | | | steps) |
| - Contingency design | | | | 3. Narrow and deep (fewer but longer pages) |
| - Categorized and organized | | | | 4. Broad and shallow (more but shorter pages) |
| - Easy to navigate | | | | If one of these four categorizing systems seems to |
| - Effective error management | | | | fit your target audience best, then go with it. |
| - Intuitive navigation | | | | Regardless of how you categorize your content |
| - Simplicity | | | | though, you should always give your user a variety |
| Poor Usability | | | | of options to expedite the process of getting certain |
| - Slow-loading pages or images | | | | common tasks done. By giving the user multiple |
| - inconsistency in navigational functionality or the sites | | | | options you give them control, and when the user |
| layout in general from page to page | | | | has control over how they do things they will |
| - Too much visual clutter | | | | consider your site easily usable, remember, usability is |
| - Overwhelming amounts of textual content | | | | key. |