Week 4 Benefits to using Web standards

By using web standards, vistors of web site, client of the web project and even you (designer of the project) can be benefits:

VISITORS view:

1.Files will download faster (less code, no overall tables, valid code)

2.Content is accessible to wider range of users (normal users, blind users, vision impaired users, dislexic users, motor skill impaired users etc)

3.Content is accessible to wider range of devices (screen readers, browsers, text based browsers, hand helds, search robots, printers, fridges etc)

4.Allows users to customize site appearance (style switchers)

5.Provides print friendly versions for all pages

CLIENTS view:

1.Easier to maintain (less code, modular code)

2.Cheaper hosting costs (less code)

3.Better search engine ranking

4.Content can be restyled easily without changing code

5.Provides users with customization

6.Provides print versions without replicating content

7.Improves accessibility (essential for Government clients)

Your view:

1.Easier to code (modular code)

2.Easier to maintain (less code, modular code)

3.Less device dependent coding (stable across wider variety of devices)

4.Provides a competitive edge as more of the world moves to using Web Standards.

http://www.maxdesign.com.au/presentation/benefits/

Week 3 What are the different deliverables for information architecture?

Depends on the situation, audience, budget, time constraints, skill set of your team, and various other factors will affect what are the deliverables we need to have in information architecture

1. Conceptual Model

There are three types of models that occur when creating a product
Implementation models
Conceptual models
Mental models.

2. Content Inventory and Organization

a complete list of all the content that the site holds and will hold.

3. User Flows/Scenarios

User flows are simple diagrams that follow a user down a path of activity.

4. Task Analysis

This is a discrete step-by-step analysis of how users accomplish their desired tasks. This allows the IA to carefully analyze each step a user needs to complete any give task.

5. Site Map

This is the IA's workhorse, the one thing we all do when building a website.

6. Page Architecture

They must show items on page, importance of each item on page and behavior of each item on page

7. Decision tables

The tables allow precise documentation of the design of every interaction possible. It is especially useful when designing error handling.

http://www.sitepoint.com/article/architecture-deliverables/

Week 2 usability

Usability can be used in different field. In Human-computer interaction and Computer science usability usually refers to the elegance and clarity with which the interaction with a Computer program Web site is designed.

We can rate the one by thinking learnability(How easy is for users to finish basic tasks the first time ? ), efficiency(how quickly can they perform? ), memorability(When users return to the design after a period of time, can they perform it again? ), errors(How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors? ) and satisfaction(How pleasant is it to use the design? )

If the design have a good usability, it will have high revenues through increased sales, increased user efficiency , reduced development costs and support costs.

Usability have become requirement everyone need to concern in producing a good design. No matter how beautiful your design is, you will also need to take a concern on usability

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usability

Week 1 Understanding disability issues when designing Web sites

First of all, you need to know what is the four main categories of disability. They are visual, hearing, mobility, and cognitive and learning disabilities.

For visual disability, it is best to use multiple attributes. For example, if both color and a fill pattern are used on different bars on a graph, they can be viewed in either color or black and white. Instead of using size attributes on the font element to denote a heading, the heading element should be used to correctly mark up a heading so that assistive technology can identify headings.

For hearing disability, the primary concern is to ensure that audio output information is provided in a redundant equivalent visual form.e.g.blinking error messages

For cognitive and learning disabilities, Web developer can reuse the same layout and design for each page, so a person with a cognitive disability can more easily navigate through a Web site.

Just remember that creating a Web site that is accessible by people with disabilities is relatively easy as long as the Web developer and author follow some basic guidelines. Sometimes, we try to design with lots of complex graphics and multimedia applications to enhance the look of the web site. However, these kinds of things will become new problem and barriers of people with disability browsing web site. So, think about it.

http://www-03.ibm.com/able/access_ibm/disability.html

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