Usability Design

Increasingly, people who design complex systems of all kinds--from computers to household appliances to business machines to Web sites--are concerned about the usability of what they produce. Some studies have found that people simply do not know how to use their machines, their software, and the Web sites they visit very effectively. Part of the reason for this is that the systems are not designed very well.

Jakob Nielson is one of the leaders in usability design and testing and nowadays he concentrates on the Web. You can see some of his ideas at http://www.useit.com/

Here are a few random points about usability:

	Always test your site with the appropriate audience. What seems eminently usable to you might give your visitors fits. After all, you already know all about the site; they don't.
	Be wary of Frames; they can really give serious usability problems, even when they seem to be solving some.
	In general, a good goal is to have people find the material they want and need with 3-4 mouse clicks. Any more and they might either get lost or simply give up and go elsewhere.
	Content is king. Everything else should be subordinate to the information and activities that people come to the site for.