June/Ju;y 2006

Volume 46, Number 6

Lessons Learned from Web Site Usability Testing: April chapter meeting review

by Stephen Wertzbaugher

We've all visited those Web sites before; whether out of necessity or curiosity, and run from our computers screaming, our hands clenched in our hair, pulling out what is left, vowing to never again return to the Internet. What were they thinking, we ask ourselves after taking a healthy dose of tranquilizers to calm our horrified and frustrated minds. All we wanted was some useful information, or worse to be able to do something, anything while visiting their Web site. Unfortunately, due to thoughtlessness, ignorance, inexperience, or just plain incompetence, many of the Web sites we visit during our daily Internet travels leave us cold and frustrated because they are not usable. Enter Janice (Ginny) Reddish, Ph.D. a principal of Reddish and Associates, Inc., a consulting company that specializes in rescuing unusable Web sites.

With over 25 years experience helping others to communicate clearly, Ms. Reddish proved to be a treasure-trove of knowledge, insight, and experience as she regaled us with the lessons she learned from Web site usability testing. One part PowerPoint show, three parts discussion, Ms. Reddish's presentation wove deftly through the eleven lessons she learned using her own data and examples as well as examples and data from those in the audience who had been left cold after failing to navigate particularly frustrating Web sites.

The lessons Ms. Reddish imparted to us were, Users are goal-oriented and topic-oriented; Users don't want to read while navigating; Users really do not want to read on pathway pages; Users will tolerate a few more clicks, if the pathway is quick and smooth; Words matter; If you don't meet user's expectations very quickly, they'll leave; Users have even less tolerance for paragraphs than on paper; Users look at links and headings-Headings help information stay in users' heads; If you think about your users, you might really help them with innovative solutions; Space matters! Too little space drives users away; Space matters! Too much space makes it hard for users to see how the page is organized.

The main lesson learned here? Web design should always be user-oriented. In other words, always focus on your users; their needs, their wants, and you will never go wrong when designing a user-friendly Web site.

Following her presentation, Ms. Reddish iced her perfectly delightful cake with a long list of references and resources for writing for the Web and usability as well as a list of useful Web sites.

As I write this, I remember feeling giddy following the conclusion of the meeting, flushed with excitement and potential as I realized that creating useful Web sites was not only possible but practical and that all you needed to do was focus on the user. Simplicity itself! Ms. Reddish was a delight to listen to and whose name should always be first on anyone's list of potential speakers. Bravo!