This week we learned about designing web interfaces. We learned about the different design issues which are color, visuals and text. For example, we learned that by combining visual elements with text you can enhance information clarity. It is also important to highlight important components. When it comes to text, one shouldn’t use all caps, or too many different fonts. Also, contrast and spacing is very important to ensure readability. Color is another important aspect. When we think about what colors to use on our page we have to consider the functionality of the color scheme. Colors should be used to provide emphasis and increase interest. We also learned about different graphic file formats. GIF, or Graphic Interchange Format, is the preferred file format for images with large areas of the same color. It supports 8 bit images. GIF files can also be used to create brief animations. JPEG, or Joint Photographic Experts Group, files are the preferred file format for photographic images and supports 24 bit images. PNG, or Portable Network Graphics, files can be 8 or 24 bits and uses a lossless compression scheme.
We also learned the four principles of design, sometimes referred to as the acronym C.R.A.P. which stands for contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. Contrast helps to organize your information. You can add contrast with typefaces, rules, colors, spacing between elements, textures, shapes, etc. Repetition unifies all parts of a design. Strong, repetitive elements help to organize the page into visual units. Alignment helps create unity on the page. And when it comes to proximity, group related items together and try to avoid too many separate elements on a page.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Usability
Over the past week our group has been focusing on analyzing the usability of the Neighborhood Health Services web site. Appropriately, we are studying usability in lecture as well.
On Thursday we learned to define usability as both a quality and a process. When testing for usability we want to know what impact the product has on the end-users. The process by which is to design the web site with the users' needs as the central focus. This is important because when a user is unable to navigate effectively through a web site to find the information they are looking for there will leave the site and look elsewhere. If a web site cannot provide the user with the information they need then that web site is not preforming its primary function.
We also learned about usability engineering, which is an approach to system
design in which levels of usability are specified quantitatively in advance, and the system is engineered toward these measures, and user-centered design, which is a design philosophy and a process in which the needs, wants and limitations of the end user of an interface or document are given extensive attention at each stage of the design process.
On Thursday we learned to define usability as both a quality and a process. When testing for usability we want to know what impact the product has on the end-users. The process by which is to design the web site with the users' needs as the central focus. This is important because when a user is unable to navigate effectively through a web site to find the information they are looking for there will leave the site and look elsewhere. If a web site cannot provide the user with the information they need then that web site is not preforming its primary function.
We also learned about usability engineering, which is an approach to system
design in which levels of usability are specified quantitatively in advance, and the system is engineered toward these measures, and user-centered design, which is a design philosophy and a process in which the needs, wants and limitations of the end user of an interface or document are given extensive attention at each stage of the design process.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Search Engines and Metadata
This week was review week. In addition to reviewing for the midterm, we learned this week about search engine optimization. This is the process of refining website content, developing inbound links, and improving overall site structure and content in order to increase the web site’s ranking in search engine results and directories. This is very important because web searches are one of the most popular methods for finding information on the web. A web site’s rank on a search results page is crucial to whether or not the site gets a hit from the user. Most users will only hit sites on the first results page. And more often than not, they will click on only the first few results.
We also learned that search engines calculate a site’s popularity based off of a combination of data about how much traffic the site receives, the age of the site, the number of links to the site, and the site’s file structure and naming scheme.
Another important term from this weeks lesson was metadata, which is data about data, more specifically in web site design, metadata is used to describe the information contained in the web site so that when users search for it on the web the search engine will associate the web site with that particular metadata being searched for (if applicable).
We also learned that search engines calculate a site’s popularity based off of a combination of data about how much traffic the site receives, the age of the site, the number of links to the site, and the site’s file structure and naming scheme.
Another important term from this weeks lesson was metadata, which is data about data, more specifically in web site design, metadata is used to describe the information contained in the web site so that when users search for it on the web the search engine will associate the web site with that particular metadata being searched for (if applicable).
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