I have to first say I’m no usability guru like Jakob Nielsen. But I can say I’d be a proud apprentice derived from the teachings of Steve Krugg. Both are names mentionable in usability while one’s more known but that’s not the point here. The point is that we all know a user friendly website creates happy visitors thus converting them to be happy customers.
Aren’t you tired of having to dig through dirt to get to the information you’re looking for? Or don’t you find reading the content on the grand looking tourism website just difficult because of the background or the non-contrasting text? The worst scenario, basking in joy with the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but not having a way back. Well, we know all about that.
Jakob Nielsen has written or co-written a few books about usability whilst Steve Krugg so far I think has only written one book. When I first studied the teachings of Jakob Nielsen in his books, I found that his set of standards and rules were very strict and definetely became an opposite of my nature as a website designer. My lecturer in Melbourne advised me to take his teachings with a grain of salt but apply when necessary in different circumstances. My lecturer also introduced me to Steve Krugg’s book; Don’t Make Me Think.
Here’s the biggest difference between the two usability practitioners; common sense. My first experience learning from Steve Krugg is that he teaches you to put yourself totally into the users shoes. I’ve been doing that for all my projects ever since but I did find a flaw or weakness or mistake by me. I noticed that we needed to downgrade ourselves as well when viewing the website as a different user. Our computer knowledge as designers or developers exceeds the normal users at times.
Links or text that we might be able to read even at 10-point size is due to our ability and maybe even habit. However, this wouldn’t be the same for our 30-year old audience especially if they’re wearing glasses. Breadcrumbs are one the different types of navigations you can apply to a website. The problem with them explained with Jakob Nielsen in one of his books is that not everyone knows how to use it.
If I were looking at it in a Steve Krugg way, it’s common sense that a normal user wouldn’t know that the breadcrumbs is really a navigational tool because it doesn’t present itself as a button. How is a first time user taught to perceive a link as a button? It’s bright blue and it has an underline. Because of the demands in design today, the color and the underline have sometimes been removed. But that doesn’t mean usability has been sacrificed. Alternatives have been presented by designers and developers. The latest one is when you rollover a content area, the links become underlined.
As for readability, the biggest problem around now is the contrast between text colors and backgrounds. Pattern backdrops are coming back into fashion but they’re used more responsibly now unlike the 1990s. The color contrast between text and solid backgrounds are tricky because white sometimes collide with a fresh blue you’d want to use. The few options is darken the blue, don’t use white text, or vice versa.
The basic usability I’ve learnt is by reading books about it. The basic teachings I’ve learnt was more from the books of the two usability experts I’ve mentioned. Both of them speak strong points in usability and I’ve accepted them both. It’s just that I’ve to know when to design first and think usability later.
As a trained designer, I’ve realized I’m letting usability get to me so I’ve to learn to let go again.
That’s one reason that I have large fonts in my blog. Doesn’t look cool but many of my friends (who unfortunately are not very young) have problem reading small fonts (like yours).
I guess this typeface doesn’t work well even at a 12. Thanks for the feedback. :)
p/s: Age sharing will do us a very big favour in this problem. Cheers.