Ooo 6
Ooo 6
New Technology
Use new technology with caution. Hold off for one year after the introduction of the non-
beta version.
Provide alternative format for users who have not upgraded and cannot use the new
feature.
It is acceptable if users with old browsers do not get all the benefits from the new
technology, but it is not acceptable if your site breaks or looks jumbled in an old browser.
Links
Do not use click here use key words instead.
Use link titles to provide a short description to the link.
Stick to standard colors for links - blue for unvisited links and red for visited links.
Use the same URL to refer to the same page or information.
Select outbound links judiciously. Provide links that are relevant.
Have permanent URLs to incoming links.
Style Sheets
Use linked style sheet instead of embedded styles.
Authors can override the central style sheet rule by using embedded style rule only when
it is absolutely necessary.
Do not use more than two fonts (possibly a third for computer code).
Do not use absolute font size.
Do not use the !important attribute in the style sheet. It overrides user preference.
If you have several style sheets make sure that the same CLASS names refer to the
same style concepts.
Frames
Frames break the unified model of the Web. The user's view is determined by a
sequence of navigation actions rather than a single navigation action.
Bookmarks do not work because the bookmark does not represent the state of the frame
since the URL no longer gives the complete specification of the information shown in the
window.
Frames do not work well with small screens.
Many browsers cannot print framed pages appropriately.
Search engines do not know what composites of frames to include as navigation units in
their index.
Use inline frames if you have to use frames.
Frames can be used as a shortcut for scrolling within a single page.
Frames are useful as comments to other pages.
Printing
Generate two versions of long documents. One version optimized for on line viewing.
The other version in postscript or PDF format for printing.
Any file intended for printing must be able to accommodate two formats A4 and US
Letter (8.5 in x 11 in).
Credibility
You get one chance to establish credibility.
No heavy background.
No animations.
Reputation will be established through a rating system established by a third party.
Conculsion
Users come to a site rarely to enjoy the design. They prefer to focus on the content.
References
Introduction to Usability
Top 10 Mistakes in Web Design
Comprehensive List of Web Design Mistakes