Chapter 2: INTERFACE DESIGN
http://www.webstyleguide.com/interface/index.html
Intro
- The Web is an uncomparable user experience
- Graphics cannot be seperated from interface design
Web page design versus conventional document design
- Printed conventions have evolved for centuries
- Design precedents in print
- The Chicago Manual of Style
- Xerox Publishing Standards: A Manual of Style and Design
Make your Web pages freestanding
- Who
- It is crucial to know who is speaking in order to determine relevance
- What
- The page title is a first and lasting impression of your web page
- When
- The age of the content can be very important
- Where
- It's important to know the source of the information and your location in the world.
- Every Web page needs:
- An informative title (which also becomes the text of any bookmark to the page)
- The creator's identity (author or institution)
- A creation or revision date
- At least one link to a local home page or menu page
- The "home page" URL on the major menu pages in your site
Basic interface design
- User-centered design
- Clear navigation aids
- No dead-end pages
- Direct access
- Bandwidth and interaction
- Simplicity and consistency
- Design integrity and stability
- Feedback and dialog
- Accessibility
- Alternates and fallbacks
- Style sheets
- Accessibility guidelines
- Graceful degradation
Navigation
- Provide context or lose the reader
- "Going back" and going to the previous page
- Button bars
