Designing Basic Web Sites III:Interface DesignBased on Web Style Guide, Lynch and Horton 2001 www.webstyleguide.com

Technical Communication Fall 2006, DAHMEN

Print design adopted to the Web Basic standards still apply:

Address your audience Identify the source/who is speaking Provide titles and visual hierarchy Keep content up to date/ dated Identify the source/home page

What every page needs

Informative title Author’s identity Creation/revision date Link to home page or menu page « home page » URL

Identity

Nav. aid

Standards in navigation and icons

Feedback

Bottom of page

Alternative text-based navigation

Date Conditions Certificates

Basics of User-centered DesignClear navigation

Apple uses 4 different navigation structure on this page

You are HERE

Avoid Dead End docs

Other points to keep in mind… Direct access Bandwidth/interaction Simplicity and consistency Design integrity and stability Feedback and Dialogue

What about accessibility?

« One of the defining principles of the Web is that it should provide allpeople; regardless of physical or technological readienss, with access to information »

--Horton and Lynch, p. 26

Aspects of Accessibility

Provide alternates and fallbacks Use style sheets (CSS) Follow accessibility guidelines

New AUI homepage displays accessibility info

Alternative navigation

Meets accessibility standards

Issues in Navigation

Context (see Apple example) Allow going back Provide a sense of location in sequence

Horton and Lynch, 32

Page Bottom

Date Certifications Feedback

Navigation