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World Usability Day [Newsletter: Volume 3, Issue 1]MWS Newsletter: Volume 3, Issue 1 You're probably aware that today, Thursday November 3, is Sandwich Day in the U.S. But you may not be aware that it's also World Usability Day (see http://worldusabilityday.org for more information). It also happens to be my birthday. In celebration of these three events, I'm devoting this issue of the MWS newsletter to attempting to explain how Web usability is similar to a sandwich or a cake. Once you've finished laughing, read on, because this is important! Sandwiches, cakes, and Web sites are made up of layers. In the interest of keeping this short, I'll skip over the explanation of sandwiches and cakes. The layers involved in Web sites include (from bottom to top) the data layer, program layer, information architecture layer, navigation layer, design layer, and browser layer. Everything below the design layer is what makes the site work. Above the design layer (the web browser layer) is where you, as a Web site owner, have very little control so we don't normally talk about it as a part of a Web site...but it is. Just as a piece of bread isn't a sandwich and frosting isn't a cake, a web site's design isn't a web site. In each of these cases (bread, frosting, and design), these are just the most visual aspects of the thing. Are they the most important factor? I don't think so. Certainly, good Web site design is important, but the lower layers of the site determine whether it will be successful. Web site users are savvy. They can see through design and know almost instantly if your site is shallow and devoid of content, or if the content is outdated. Again, nice bread isn't going to disguise the fact that there's nothing inside the sandwich (or worse, that the contents of the sandwich are old!). Some of the sites that users spend the most time on have the least design (take a look at craigslist.com). As with sandwiches and cakes, a wealth of good content often completely overshadows humble toppings. My advice to people seeking to create a new Web site or to attract more traffic to an existing site is to focus first on what's inside the site. Ideally, design work should only begin once the contents (including data, functionality, information architecture, and navigation structure) of the site have been decided on and organized. My experience has been that by having these elements planned out in advance, you give the designer the greatest amount of information and your site will end up looking and working much better than if you had started from the top down. The reason is simple: when you start by understanding the purpose of whatever it is that you're creating, the form that results will be much more optimized for that purpose. This applies to cakes and sandwiches as well as to Web sites. Have a happy World Usability Day and Sandwich Day. I'm taking off early for my birthday long weekend, so if you'd like to talk to me further about this newsletter, please email me or call on Monday! ------ For more information about how Minnick Web Services can help you achieve your goals, please visit our (newly redesigned) web site (http://www.minnickweb.com) or contact us. ------ Complete Archives and Subscription Information ------ Chris Minnick |
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