Web-Site Usability Engineering
Designing and buidling a quality Web site
By Paul Helinski
What makes a quality Web site isn't always clear or even the same for any two projects. The industry is forever evolving into more creative realms. Though the elements of a quality Web site often seem intangible, that quality is attainable. But what are the tangibles of such an intangible idea? n A Web site's quality is relative to its usability, and determining usability requires iterative testing and learning. This article will give a base from which to start; we'll consult industry experts, break down important issues, and address quality and usability in Web technology. Part Two of this article will describe how to design and construct your very own usability-testing lab.
Isms, Plug-ins, and Java
At the forefront of every Web-usability discussion is the issue of standards versus Netscape/Microsoft-isms, plug-ins, and Java. The HTML 3.2 draft was supposed to clarify the "ism" problem, but hasn't. Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator support most of the specification; however, overlap and proprietary garble abound.
Two percent of all users upgrade to Navigator 3 and Internet Explorer 3 each week, according to figures derived from Sun's log files. Thus, it takes one year for a new browser to propagate, and another for the public to catch up with the latest features. Sun's numbers might be skewed toward the high side due to the high-tech nature of their customers. If you're targeting the broadest-possible consumer market, you might even want to avoid <TABLE> enhancements at this point.
