Forward
Contributors
Introduction
Background and methodology
Printing complete guidelines
Guidelines sorting tool
Submit additional research
Design Process and Evaluation
Setting goals for your website
Researching users' requirements
Planning and testing for usability
Optimizing the User Experience
Usable information formatting
Working memory limitations
Enabling printing of pages
Download times
Accessibility
Information on Section 508
Designing for users with disabilities
Providing alternative formatting
Accesible plug-ins and multimedia
Hardware and Software
Internet browsers, Operating systems
Connection speed, Screen resolution
The Homepage
Creating a positive first impression
Main page structure and layout
Information to include on main page
Page Layout
Placing and aligning information items
Appropriate page and line lengths
White space
Navigation
Letting users know where they are
Site maps, Lists of contents
Menu types, Clickable tabs
Scrolling and Paging
Deciding between long pages or multiple pages
Facilitating scrolling
Headings, Titles, and Labels
Clearly identifying categories
Using descriptive headings and titles
Highlighting important data
Links
Creating meaningful links
Using links effectively
Clickable regions of images
Text Appearance
Appropriate color combinations and fonts
Ensuring visual consistency
Using text formatting efficiently
Color, Size, Style...
Lists
Appropriate order of items
Using headings on lists
Formatting lists
Screen-based Controls (Widgets)
Handling data entry
Forms formatting and layout
Text Fields, Buttons, Check Boxes, List Boxes...
Graphics, Images, and Multimedia
Meaningful usage of multimedia
Creating and using effective graphics
Images and download times
Background Images, Data Graphs, Animation...
Writing Web Content
Using familiar language
Writing briefly and to the point
Acronyms, Abbreviations
Content Organization
Using a logical structure
Facilitating quick scanning and understanding
Handling multiple audiences
Search
When to use search options
Making search efficient
