In this article, we ll be focusing on web usability and more specifically, on the views of world renowned usability expert, Jakob Nielsen.
Many studies have been done over the years on various aspects of Web and interface design, and the findings are valuable in helping us improve our work. Here are 10 useful usability findings and guidelines that may help you improve the user experience on your websites.
But what about their websites? How do they both compare, and more important, which one is better and more usable?
These design guidelines are excerpted from our book Homepage Usability: 50 Websites Deconstructed which contains more details, including copiously annotated screenshots of 50 homepages.
Breadcrumbs use a single line of text to show a page\'s location in the site hierarchy. While secondary, this navigation technique is increasingly beneficial to users.
New user testing of site maps shows that they are still useful as a secondary navigation aide, and that they\'re much easier to use than they were during our research 7 years ago.
Precise communication in a handful of words? The editors at BBC News achieve it every day, offering remarkable headline usability.
Structure and navigation must support each other and integrate with search and across subsites. Complexity, inconsistency, hidden options, and clumsy UI mechanics prevent users from finding what they need.
We found a 9% improvement in the usability of About Us information on websites over the past 5 years. But companies and organizations still can\'t explain what they do in one paragraph.
Big, two-dimensional drop-down panels group navigation options to eliminate scrolling and use typography, icons, and tooltips to explain the user\'s choices.