Notes on writing better web pages

Lonsdale, revised by Ritter, May 2001

Text

• Users don't read, they scan
  
  
•  lowercase is better than UPPERCASE. Mixed case is Best.
  
  
• <blink> can easily be distracting! 
  
  
• so are large blocks of text, and tiny serif fonts... 
  
  
• Some say, that only 10% of users scroll outside immediate window
  (but they may be your users)
  
• See the web, see library for extensive amounts of further knowledge

Example of Improving Web Readability

Links

• what text to use as actual link
  
  Everything
  
  what users need?
  

Colour

• Excessive use of colour can be confusing, especially when overprinting
  (bad example) (good example very close)
  
• But HTML makes use of colour relatively easy, so it gets implemented as an easy way of making something look pretty
  
  
• But appropriate use of colour can lead the reader and emphasise salient points
  
• Also see some clever web applets that support exploration
  by Young (Local copy)

Graphics

• Animation - Movement can be distracting
  
  
• Imagemaps - can be useful/pretty, but not always obvious
  
  
• Loading times - WWW originally designed for text, but sites increasingly rely on graphical presentation as bandwidth increases

Java & Applets

• Can be impressive, but take a long time to load and can run slowly, even on a fast machine
  
  You thus should have a reason for using them, users with tasks
  
  
• The hypertext navigation metaphor is too strong to support apps within apps, or windows within windows: people click on back to undo actions in applets
  
  
• Double-click vs single click conflicts
  
  What do users expect?

Frames

• Frames can support or detract from the essential organisation of a browser
  
  
  • Split window breaks essential idea of hypertext (one window one tool)
    
    
  •  BACK (2nd most used action) doesn't work reliably
    
    
  •  URLs refer only to initial frame states
    
    
  •  Cannot print or save properly
    
    
• Frame-like organisation can be achieved without frames