Week 7 Reading Response

Asking for too much data is bad. For example, have you ever been on the web filling out some papers for an account your trying to make at some random website, when it ask you for a lot of info. People tend to sway away from websites that tend to ask for too much data. This is a bad case for the user because he/she will have to fill this long info sheet out which turns more into a project.

Theres three down sides to asking for too much info. It keeps the web designer from receiving real data from the user due to the length of the paper. When asking for too much info, a lot less forms are turned in. When a web site ask for too much info, it makes the web designers look bad.

Showing the value of what your going to receive in exchange of the info is the proper way to do this. Tell the audience exactly what they're gonna get. Don't leave them hanging and wondering why they are filling this form out. State the value of the form right away!

http://www.n-etiquette.com/website.htm

http://www.pixelmedia.com/blog/face-it-your-web-form-is-too-long/

http://www.usabilitypost.com/2008/10/21/does-your-website-suffer-from-these-7-usability-mistakes/

Museum Kiosk

Museum Kiosk

CH 6 Reading Response

" The reservoir is limited , and if you treat users badly enough and exhaust them, theres a good chance that they will leave." My thoughts after this statement by Krugs is that he is referring to the reservoir as someones attention span when they are on a website. Full reservoir means that they're happy but a low reservoir means they're beginning to lose interest in your message that your trying to get across. Some people have a large reservoir and some have a small one. If you make mistakes that diminish a site and a users good will they may quickly lose interest. Some things that diminish a goodwill on a website are punishing the user for not doing it your way. Asking for info that is not needed tends to make users mad when it is unesscary. Waiting on sites for long flash intro will diminish a users good will imidieatly. Users want things done quick, and not have to wait for the stupid intro that takes long to load at the beginning of the site.

But besides all the negatives in the last paragraph, there are good things that increase a users good will. For example, knowing what the user wants. When things are made obvious and in your face the user doesn't have to go through the trouble of questioning if the steps he/she are taking are correct. Saving the user unesscary steps will boost there goodwill. On a website many users come across questions that they have. Having a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section on the website is very insightful and answers many potential questions. Last but not least, a users goodwill is determined by the amount of effort you put into the site. If the site looks like crap, then the user will not be there for very long. But if the site is function able, then the users reservoir will be filled and he will have no problems with the website.

http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol7/design_no4.htm

http://www.datadial.net/blog/index.php/2009/06/09/website-fail-30-web-designs-that-will-hurt-your-eyes/

http://websitehelpers.com/design/

ECOMERCE GROUP PROJECT

http://www.freestyleshop.com/skate-shoes.html

Week 5 Reading Response

Everyone that uses a computer is a web users. Web users tend to have strong feelings about what we like and what we don't like about websites. The natural tendency is to think that most web users like the same thing we like. We tend to think that web users are all like us. But that is not the case. Designers are always trying to build sites that look great, but on the other hand, developers want to build sites with interesting, original, and elegant features.
The problem is there is no simple right answer for most web design questions. What works is good, integrated designs that fill a need thats carefully thought out, well executed and tested. If you carefully plan ahead it seems as if you will not stumble upon problems as such. Debates about what people like waste time and always leaves someones feelings hurt. Testing difuses arguments and break impasses by moving the discussion away from the realm of what works or doesn't work. An experience i had with testing was for the death star project. We did usability tests with paper mock ups leading to every screen. This was awesome because you got feedback of what links were missing, and just knowledge from someone else of how they think your interface works. Testing reminds you that not everyone thinks the way you do, knows what you know, and uses the web the same way you do.

http://www.usability.gov/refine/learnusa.html

https://www.cu.edu/irm/stds/usability/

http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-usability/usability-testing.shtml

Ecommerce site

www.learningspanishtoday.com

www.online-toy-store.net

www.freestyleshop.com

www.barachelbikeandskate.com

www.bescomputers.net

Carlos DeathStar

Week 3 Reading

Hierarchy is used in everyday life. Navigational systems are used in department stores, grocery stores, maps, etc. With proper navigation through a website or interface, the user isn't left with questions surrounding how to properly work the page. To get from point A to point B. Krugs makes a good point with this statement. "The web equivalent of asking for directions is searching..." This is such a true statement. People will automatically search for the search bar when they need help in a website. When lost on the web, a user will browse and use signs through hierarchy to guide he/she through the page. Navigation isn't just a feature on the website, it is the website. Krugs states it best. "Navigation puts ground on our feet and gives us handrails to hold on too." Web designers make hierarchy visible by using tabs. Tabs are great on web pages because they are self evident, hard to miss, and they suggest physical space between the pages.

http://blog.themeforest.net/tutorials/visual-hierarchy-in-web-design/

http://www.yourhtmlsource.com/accessibility/navigation.html

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/tabs.html

Week 2 Reading

Having a clear visual hierarchy in your pages can help the audience significantly. The most important headings are large, bold, in a distinctive color, set off by more white space, or near the top of the page. I find this in everyday articles such as websites, magazines, billboards, etc. The hierarchy shows you what the point of the designer or the company is trying to make. If a page has a unclear visual hierarchy, the audience is reduced to slower scanning and to forced to try and make sense of what was stated. Making things as easily obvious to the audience is the intention of designing a site that gets the message across. Refrain from unnecessary clicks is a powerful tool when creating site layouts. Some good advice that I took from the reading is to make everything that is unessential unavailable. It reduces the noise level of the page when the message is pin point and the useful content is more prominent.

http://seanlandry.com/blog/2009/10/14/a-little-about-visual-hierarchy/

http://www.webdesign.org/web-design-basics/design-principles/visual-hierarchy.4750.html

http://www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/guidelines/bigdoc/writeOmitUnnecc.cfm

Death Star Interface

Week 1 Reading Response

Krugs makes good points in the selected readings of Chapter 1 & 2. In order for a website to be easily used, everything important should be two clicks away. When creating a web page Krug says to be self evident , obvious, and self explanatory. I hate being on a website that is cluttered. It makes it stressful for the user, and the navigation can be a hassle. As a web designer or a graphic designer creating a site, you should try to get rid of all the questions for the user when creating a site. "Users should never have to devote a millisecond of thought to weather things are click able or not."-Krugs. If a web pages are going to be effective at all, they have to be clear in a glance. Pages should be self explanatory,