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2

Optimizing the User Experience

Web sites should be designed to facilitate and
encourage efficient and effective human-computer interactions.
Designers should make every attempt to reduce the user’s workload
by taking advantage of the computer’s capabilities. Users will make the
best use of Web sites when information is displayed in a directly usable
format and content organization is highly intuitive. Users also benefit
from task sequences that are consistent with how they typically do their
work, that do not require them to remember information for more than
a few seconds, that have terminology that is readily understandable,
and that do not overload them with information.

Users should not be required to wait for more than a few seconds
for a page to load, and while waiting, users should be supplied with
appropriate feedback. Users should be easily able to print information.
Designers should never ‘push’ unsolicited windows or graphics to users.

R e s e a r c h - B a s e d We b D e s i g n & U s a b i l i t y G u i d e l i n e s

10 2:1 Do Not Display Unsolicited Windows or Graphics

Guideline: Do not have unsolicited windows or Relative Importance:
Links

graphics ‘pop-up’ to users.

Comments: Users have commented that unsolicited Strength of Evidence:
windows or graphics that ‘pop up’ are annoying and
distracting when they are focusing on completing
their original activity.

Sources: Ahmadi, 2000.

2:2 Increase Web Site Credibility Relative Importance:

Guideline: Optimize the credibility of information- Strength of Evidence:
oriented Web sites.

Comments: Based on the results of two large surveys,
the most important Web site-related actions that organizations can do to help
ensure high Web site credibility are to:

• Provide a useful set of frequently asked questions (FAQ) and answers;
• Ensure the Web site is arranged in a logical way;
• Provide articles containing citations and references;
• Show author’s credentials;
• Ensure the site looks professionally designed;
• Provide an archive of past content (where appropriate);
• Ensure the site is as up-to-date as possible;
• Provide links to outside sources and materials; and
• Ensure the site is frequently linked to by other credible sites.

Sources: Fogg, 2002; Fogg, et al., 2001; Lightner, 2003; Nielsen, 2003.

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for detailed descriptions
Research-Ba s e d We b D e s i g n & U s a b i l i t y G u i d e l i n e s of the rating scales

2:3 Standardize Task Sequences Relative Importance: 11

Guideline: Allow users to perform tasks in the same Strength of Evidence:

sequence and manner across similar conditions.

Comments: Users learn certain sequences of
behaviors and perform best when they can be reliably repeated. For
example, users become accustomed to looking in either the left or right
panels for additional information. Also, users become familiar with the steps
in a search or checkout process.

Sources: Bovair, Kieras and Polson, 1990; Czaja and Sharit, 1997; Detweiler
and Omanson, 1996; Foltz, et al., 1988; Kieras, 1997; Polson and Kieras,
1985; Polson, Bovair and Kieras, 1987; Polson, Muncher and Engelback,
1986; Smith, Bubb-Lewis and Suh, 2000; Sonderegger, et al., 1999; Ziegler,
Hoppe and Fahnrich, 1986.

Example:

Drop-down boxes for
date selection are
consistent across the
site, but one page places
calendars in ‘pop-up’
windows, whereas other
pages in the site show
the calendars. This can
confuse users, and
should be avoided.


12 2:4 Reduce the User’s Workload Relative Importance:

Guideline: Allocate functions to take advantage Strength of Evidence:
Links

of the inherent respective strengths of computers
and users.

Comments: Let the computer perform as many tasks as possible, so that users
can concentrate on performing tasks that actually require human processing
and input. Ensure that the activities performed by the human and the computer
take full advantage of the strengths of each. For example, calculating body mass
indexes, remembering user IDs, and mortgage payments are best performed by
computers.

Sources: Gerhardt-Powals, 1996; Moray and Butler, 2000; Sheridan, 1997.

Example:
When looking
to buy a house,
users will know
the value of
variables necessary
to calculate a
monthly payment
(interest rate, loan
amount, etc.), but
are incapable of
quickly calculating it
themselves.

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Research-B a s e d We b D e s i g n & U s a b i l i t y G u i d e l i n e s of the rating scales

2:5 Design for Working Memory Limitations 13

Guideline: Do not require users to remember Relative Importance:

Links
information from place to place on a Web site.

Comments: Users can remember relatively few Strength of Evidence:
items of information for a relatively short period
of time. This ’working memory’ capacity tends to
lessen even more as people become older. One
study compared the working memory performance of age groups 23-44
years and 61-68 years. The younger group performed reliably better than
the older group.
When users must remember information on one Web page for use on
another page or another location on the same page, they can only
remember about three or four items for a few seconds. If users must make
comparisons, it is best to have the items being compared side-by-side so
that users do not have to remember information—even for a short period of
time.

Sources: Ahlstrom and Longo, 2001; Baddeley, 1992; Bailey, 2000a;
Broadbent, 1975; Brown, 1958; Cockburn and Jones, 1996; Curry, McDougall
and de Bruijn, 1998; Evans, 1998; Kennedy and Wilkes, 1975; LeCompte,
1999; LeCompte, 2000; MacGregor, 1987; McEneaney, 2001; Nordby,
Raanaas and Magnussen, 2002; Raanaas, Nordby and Magnussen, 2002;
Spyridakis, 2000.

2:6 Minimize Page Download Time Relative Importance:

Guideline: Minimize the time required to Strength of Evidence:
download a Web site’s pages.

Comments: The best way to facilitate fast page
loading is to minimize the number of bytes per page.

Sources: Barber and Lucas, 1983; Bouch, Kuchinsky and Bhatti, 2000; Byrne,
et al., 1999; Evans, 1998; Lynch and Horton, 2002; Nielsen, 1997d; Spool, et
al., 1997; Tiller and Green, 1999.


14 2:7 Warn of ‘Time Outs’ Relative Importance:

Guideline: Let users know if a page is programmed Strength of Evidence:

to ’time out,’ and warn users before time expires
so they can request additional time.

Comments: Some pages are designed to ’time out’ automatically (usually
because of security reasons). Pages that require users to use them within a
fixed amount of time can present particular challenges to users who read
or make entries slowly.

Sources: Koyani, 2001a; United States Government, 1998.

Example:

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Research-Ba s e d We b D e s i g n & U s a b i l i t y G u i d e l i n e s of the rating scales

2:8 Display Information in a Directly Usable Format 15

Guideline: Display data and information in a Relative Importance:

Links
format that does not require conversion by
the user.
Strength of Evidence:
Comments: Present information to users in the
most useful and usable format possible. Do not
require users to convert or summarize information in order for it to be
immediately useful. It is best to display data in a manner that is consistent
with the standards and conventions most familiar to users.
To accommodate a multinational Web audience, information should
be provided in multiple formats (e.g., centigrade and Fahrenheit for
temperatures) or the user should be allowed to select their preferred formats
(e.g., the 12-hour clock for American audiences and the 24-hour clock for
European audiences).
Do not require users to convert, transpose, compute, interpolate, or
translate displayed data into other units, or refer to documentation to
determine the meaning of displayed data.

Sources: Ahlstrom and Longo, 2001; Casner and Larkin, 1989; Galitz, 2002;
Gerhardt-Powals, 1996; Navai, et al., 2001; Smith and Mosier, 1986.

Example:

Displaying time in
a 24-hour clock
format is not suitable
for U.S. civilian
audiences.

Recognize that there is a
difference between the data units
used in science and medicine
and those used generally. Data
should be presented in the
generally-accepted manner of the
intended audience—in this case,
pounds and ounces.


16 2:9 Format Information for Reading and Printing

Guideline: Prepare information with the expectation Relative Importance:
Links

that it will either be read online or printed.

Comments: Documents should be prepared that are Strength of Evidence:
consistent with whether users can be expected to
read the document online or printed. One study
found that the major reason participants gave for
deciding to read a document from print or to read it online was the size of
the document. Long documents (over five pages) were printed, and short
documents were read online. In addition, users preferred to print information
that was related to research, presentations, or supporting a point. They favored
reading it online if for entertainment.
Users generally favored reading documents online because they could do it
from anywhere at anytime with 24/7 access. Users were inclined to print (a) if
the online document required too much scrolling, (b) if they needed to refer to
the document at a later time, or (c) the complexity of the document required
them to highlight and write comments.

Sources: Shaikh and Chaparro, 2004.

2:10 Provide Feedback when Users Must Wait
Guideline: Provide users with appropriate feedback Relative Importance:
while they are waiting.

Comments: If processing will take less than 10 Strength of Evidence:
seconds, use an hourglass to indicate status. If
processing will take up to sixty seconds or longer,
use a process indicator that shows progress toward
completion. If computer processing will take over one minute, indicate this to
the user and provide an auditory signal when the processing is complete.
Users frequently become involved in other activities when they know they must
wait for long periods of time for the computer to process information. Under
these circumstances, completion of processing should be indicated by a non-
disruptive sound (beep).

Sources: Bouch, Kuchinsky and Bhatti, 2000;
Meyer, Shinar and Leiser, 1990; Smith and
Mosier, 1986.

Example:

Research-B a s e d We b D e s i g n & U s a b i l i t y G u i d e l i n e s

2:11 Inform Users of Long Download Times 17

Guideline: Indicate to users the time required Relative Importance:

Links
to download an image or document at a given
connection speed.
Comments: Providing the size and download time
of large images or documents gives users sufficient
information to choose whether or not they are
willing to wait for the file to download. One study concluded that supplying
users with download times relative to various connection speeds improves
their Web site navigation performance.

Sources: Campbell and Maglio, 1999; Detweiler and Omanson, 1996; Evans,
1998; Nielsen, 2000.

Example:

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of the rating scales R e s e a r c h - B a s e d We b D e s i g n & U s a b i l i t y G u i d e l i n e s

18 2:12 Develop Pages that Will Print Properly

Guideline: If users are likely to print one or more Relative Importance:
Links

pages, develop pages with widths that print
properly.
Comments: It is possible to display pages that are too
wide to print completely on standard 8.5 x 11 inch
paper in portrait orientation. Ensure that margin to
margin printing is possible.

Sources: Ahlstrom and Longo, 2001; Evans, 1998; Gerhardt-Powals, 1996; Lynch
and Horton, 2002; Spyridakis, 2000; Tullis, 2001; Zhang and Seo, 2001.

Example:

Sections of this
page are trimmed
when printed on
standard 8.5 x 11
paper because of
the design of the
page.


2:13 Do Not Require Users to Multitask While Reading 19

Guideline: If reading speed is important, do not Relative Importance:

Links
require users to perform other tasks while reading
from the monitor.
Comments: Generally, users can read from a
monitor as fast as they can from paper, unless
they are required to perform other tasks that
require human ’working memory’ resources while reading. For example, do
not require users to look at the information on one page and remember it
while reading the information on a second page. This can reliably slow their
reading performance.

Sources: Baddeley, 1986; Evans, 1998; Mayes, Sims and Koonce, 2000;
Spyridakis, 2000.

2:14 Use Users’ Terminology in Help Documentation
Guideline: When giving guidance about using a Relative Importance:
Web site, use the users’ terminology to describe
elements and features.
Comments: There is varied understanding among
users as to what many Web site features are
called, and in some cases, how they are used.
These features include ’breadcrumbs,’ changing link colors after they’ve
been clicked, the left and right panels on the homepage, the tabs at the
top of many homepages, and the search capability. For example, if the term
’breadcrumb’ is used in the help section, give enough context so that a user
unfamiliar with that term can understand your guidance. If you refer to the
’navigation bar,’ explain to what you are referring. Even if users know how
to use an element, the terms they use to describe it may not be the same
terms that a designer would use.

Sources: Bailey, Koyani and Nall, 2000; Foley and Wallace, 1974; Furnas, et al.,
1987; Scanlon and Schroeder, 2000.

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20 2:15 Provide Printing Options Relative Importance:

Guideline: Provide a link to a complete printable or Strength of Evidence:
Links

downloadable document if there are Web pages,
documents, resources, or files that users will want to
print or save in one operation.

Comments: Many users prefer to read text from a paper copy of a document.
They find this to be more convenient, and it allows them to make notes on the
paper. Users sometimes print pages because they do not trust the Web site to
have pages for them at a later date, or they think they will not be able to find
them again.

Sources: Detweiler and Omanson, 1996; Levine, 1996; Lynch and Horton, 2002;
Nielsen, 1997e.

Example: Clicking on the ‘Print Friendly’ link will open a new browser window that
allows the user to choose the sections of the document they wish to
print. This is particularly useful for long documents, where users may
only be interested in a particular section.


2:16 Provide Assistance to Users Relative Importance: 21

Guideline: Provide assistance for users who need Strength of Evidence:

Links
additional help with the Web site.

Comments: Users sometimes require special
assistance. This is particularly important if the site was designed for
inexperienced users or has many first time users. For example, in one Web
site that was designed for repeat users, more than one-third of users (thirty-
six percent) were first time visitors. A special link was prepared that allowed
new users to access more information about the content of the site and
described the best way to navigate the site.

Sources: Covi and Ackerman, 1995; Morrell, et al., 2002; Nall, Koyani and
Lafond, 2001; Plaisant, et al., 1997.

Example:

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