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Process and Evaluation

• High level process steps involved in making a website a web usable one is listed below
  
  1. Provide Useful Content
  
  2. Establish User Requirements
  
  3. Understand and Meet User's Expectations
  
  4. Involve Users in Establishing User Requirements
  
  5. Set and State Goals
  
  6. Focus on Performance Before Preference
  
  7. Consider Many User Interface Issues
  
  8. Be Easily Found in the Top 30
  
  9. Set Usability Goals
  
  10. Use Parallel Design
  
  11. Use Personas
  
  

Guidelines for Content Display

• The Homepage
  1. Enable Access to the Homepage
  
  2. Show All Major Options on the Homepage
  
  3. Create a Positive First Impression of Your Site
  
  4. Communicate the Web Site's Value and Purpose
  
  5. Limit Prose Text on the Homepage
  
  6. Ensure the Homepage Looks like a Homepage
  
  7. Limit Homepage Length
  
  8. Announce Changes to a Web Site
  
  9. Attend to Homepage Panel Width
  
  Page Layout
  1. Avoid Cluttered Displays
  
  2. Place Important Items Consistently
  
  3. Place Important Items at Top Center
  
  4. Structure for Easy Comparison
  
  5. Establish Level of Importance
  
  6. Optimize Display Density
  
  7. Align Items on a Page
  
  8. Use Fluid Layouts
  
  9. Avoid Scroll Stoppers
  
  10. Set Appropriate Page Lengths
  
  11. Use Moderate White Space
  
  12. Choose Appropriate Line Lengths
  
  13. Use Frames when Functions Must Remain Accessible
  
  Navigation
  1. Provide Navigational Options
  
  2. Differentiate and Group Navigation Elements
  
  3. Use a Clickable 'List of Contents' on Long Pages
  
  4. Provide Feedback on User's Location
  
  5. Place Primary Navigation Menus in the Left Panel
  
  6. Use Descriptive Tab Labels
  
  7. Present Tabs Effectively
  
  8. Keep Navigation-Only Pages Short
  
  9. Use Appropriate Menu Types
  
  10. Use Site Maps
  
  11. Use 'Glosses' to Assist Navigation
  
  12. Breadcrumb Navigation
  
  Scrolling and Paging
  1. Eliminate Horizontal Scrolling
  
  2. Facilitate Rapid Scrolling While Reading
  
  3. Use Scrolling Pages for Reading Comprehension
  
  4. Use Paging Rather Than Scrolling
  
  5. Scroll Fewer Screenfuls
  
  Headings, Titles, and Labels
  1. Use Clear Category Labels
  
  2. Provide Descriptive Page Titles
  
  3. Use Descriptive Headings Liberally
  
  4. Use Unique and Descriptive Headings
  
  5. Highlight Critical Data
  
  6. Use Descriptive Row and Column Headings
  
  7. Use Headings in the Appropriate HTML Order
  
  8. Provide Users with Good Ways to Reduce Options
  
  Text Appearance
  1. Use Black Text on Plain, High-Contrast Backgrounds
  
  2. Format Common Items Consistently
  
  3. Use Mixed-Case for Prose Text
  
  4. Ensure Visual Consistency
  
  5. Use Bold Text Sparingly
  
  6. Use Attention-Attracting Features when Appropriate
  
  7. Use Familiar Fonts
  
  8. Use at Least 12-Point Font
  
  9. Color-Coding and Instructions
  
  10. Emphasize Importance
  
  11. Highlighting Information
  
  Lists
  1. Order Elements to Maximize User Performance
  
  2. Place Important Items at Top of the List
  
  3. Format Lists to Ease Scanning
  
  4. Display Related Items in Lists
  
  5. Introduce Each List
  
  6. Use Static Menus
  
  7. Start Numbered Items at One
  
  8. Use Appropriate List Style
  
  9. Capitalize First Letter of First Word in Lists
  
  

Guidelines for improving User experience

• Optimizing the User Experience
  1. Do Not Display Unsolicited Windows or Graphics
  
  2. Increase Web Site Credibility
  
  3. Standardize Task Sequences
  
  4. Reduce the User's Workload
  
  5. Design for Working Memory Limitations
  
  6. Minimize Page Download Time
  
  7. Warn of 'Time Outs'
  
  8. Display Information in a Directly Usable Format
  
  9. Format information for Reading and Printing
  
  10. Provide Feedback When Users Must Wait
  
  11. Inform Users of Long Download Times
  
  12. Develop Pages that Will Print Properly
  
  13. Do Not Require Users to Multitask While Reading
  
  14. Use Users' Terminology in Help Documentation
  
  15. Provide Printing Options
  
  16. Provide Assistance to Users
  
  Accessibility
  1. Do Not Use Color Alone to Convey Information
  
  2. Enable Users to Skip Repetitive Navigation Links
  
  3. Provide Text Equivalents for Non-Text Elements
  
  4. Test Plug-Ins and Applets for Accessibility
  
  5. Ensure that Scripts Allow Accessibility
  
  6. Provide Client-Side Image Maps
  
  7. Provide Frame Titles
  
  8. Avoid Screen Flicker
  
  Links
  1. Use Meaningful Link Labels
  
  2. Link to Related Content
  
  3. Match Link Names with Their Destination Pages
  
  4. Avoid Misleading Cues to Click
  
  5. Repeat Important Links
  
  6. Use Text for Links
  
  7. Designate Used Links
  
  8. Provide Consistent Clickability Cues
  
  9. Ensure that Embedded Links are Descriptive
  
  10. Use 'Pointing-and-Clicking'
  
  11. Use Appropriate Text Link Lengths
  
  12. Indicate Internal vs. External Links
  
  13. Clarify Clickable Regions of Images
  
  14. Link to Supportive Information
  
  

Guidelines for Screen and Display

• Hardware and Software
  1. Design for Common Browsers
  
  2. Account for Browser Differences
  
  3. Design for Popular Operating Systems
  
  4. Design for User's Typical Connection Speed
  
  5. Design for Commonly Used Screen Resolutions
  
  Screen-Based Controls (Widgets)
  1. Distinguish Required and Optional Data Entry Fields
  
  2. Label Pushbuttons Clearly
  
  3. Label Data Entry Fields Consistently
  
  4. Do Not Make User-Entered Codes Case Sensitive
  
  5. Label Data Entry Fields Clearly
  
  6. Minimize User Data Entry
  
  7. Put Labels Close to Data Entry Fields
  
  8. Allow Users to See Their Entered Data
  
  9. Use Radio Buttons for Mutually Exclusive Selections
  
  10. Use Familiar Widgets
  
  11. Anticipate Typical User Errors
  
  12. Partition Long Data Items
  
  13. Use a Single Data Entry Method
  
  14. Prioritize Pushbuttons
  
  15. Use Check Boxes to Enable Multiple Selections
  
  16. Label Units of Measurement
  
  17. Do Not Limit Viewable List Box Options
  
  18. Display Default Values
  
  19. Place Cursor in First Data Entry Field
  
  20. Ensure that Double-Clicking Will Not Cause Problems
  
  21. Use Open Lists to Select One from Many
  
  22. Use Data Entry Fields to Speed Performance
  
  23. Use a Minimum of Two Radio Buttons
  
  24. Provide Auto-Tabbing Functionality
  
  25. Minimize Use of the Shift Key
  
  Graphics, Images, and Multimedia
  1. Use Simple Background Images
  
  2. Label Clickable Images
  
  3. Ensure that Images Do Not Slow Downloads
  
  4. Use Video, Animation, and Audio Meaningfully
  
  5. Include Logos
  
  6. Graphics Should Not Look like Banner Ads
  
  7. Limit Large Images Above the Fold
  
  8. Ensure Web Site Images Convey Intended Messages
  
  9. Limit the Use of Images
  
  10. Include Actual Data with Data Graphics
  
  11. Display Monitoring Information Graphically
  
  12. Introduce Animation