Lanark IT accessibility Design Overview
What is user- centered design?
User- centered design is an approach to interactive system development that focuses specifically on making web interfaces usable.
- ease of learning - the interface needs to allow users who have never seen it before to learn to use it quickly to succeed in accomplishing basic tasks
- efficiency of use - the interface needs to be designed to allow rapid accomplishment of tasks for more experienced users
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Memo ability - casual users of the site are assisted by an interface design that they can remember how to use
- error minimization - the interface should be designed to minimize the number and severity of errors, and allow for quick error recovery
- subjective satisfaction - the experience of using a web interface should be a pleasant one
- accessibility - the interface needs to be accessible to as wide an audience as possible
Summary
User-centred design is about designing web sites that are easy and pleasant to use.It is a philosophy that asserts that the design process must be focused on the end user, and that web design is about using creative energy to solve a range of usability problems. User-centred design is a methodology that involves the user in all phases of its iterative design cycle.
The primary design principles of user-centred design are:
- know your users
- make things obvious
- aim for a simple, clean design
- be consistent
- use existing standards
- provide feedback
- facilitate user control and freedom
- design to prevent errors and aid error recovery
User-centred design is crucial to the success, and the measurement of success, of all web sites.
The web is a user-empowering environment, but only in theory. A user-centred approach to design will give power and control back to users
