Erin Webdesign

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Helpful Sites

August 23rd, 2006 by · 1 Comment · Uncategorized

Just some websites that may be helpful and were found when searching for information on Web project planning and Todd Warfel.

Boxes and Arrows

Todd Warfel dot com

Visi Interaction Design Patterns

UI Patterns and Techniques

Design Patterns

Julian on Software: Todd Warfel Design Process Diagram

Design and Usability Resources

Web Design Patterns

Related to topics at C476 Edublogs

Quality Assurance and Testing- Accessibility

July 26th, 2006 by · 5 Comments · Quality Testing and Assurance

What?

Accessibility is making sure a website follows the rules and guidelines laid out to make sure the site is available to everyone including people who are less able.

Things to check

  • Provide equvelent alternatives to auditory and visual content
  • Large link areas, well spaced (for people with motor skill problems)
  • Dont rely on colour
  • Clarify natural language usage
  • Make sure pages work even when newer technologies, graphics or JavaScript are not supported
  • Ensure moving, blinking, scrolling or auto updating can be disabled
  • Device Independence

How?

  • Transcripting
  • Meta Tags
  • Test site without colour or use colour blindness plug-ins
  • Turn off JavaScript, Graphics or Flash etc and use site.
  • Make sure site can be used fully using only keyborad/mouse
  • Test using Screen Readers, Braille Displays etc
  • Use markup that facillitates pronounciation or interpretation of abbreviated or foreign text.
  • Another option is to use an accessibility tester available online

Why?

  • These things must be done so that your site is usable by everyone
  • Because it is now law that certain accessibility guidelines are followed.

 

Information for this blog was taken from the W3C Website Content Accessibility Guidelines

Further information on related topics can be found at Web site testing – WHAT, HOW, WHY?

 

Quality Assurance and Testing- Navigation

July 26th, 2006 by · 2 Comments · Navigation, Quality Testing and Assurance

What?

Navigation is the layout and the method of traversing a website.

Things that need to be considered when doing navigation are

  • links
  • check spelling
  • file extensions
  • the code
  • all the same links on the different pages lead to the same thing
  • that the links actually go somewhere
  • that the site has a logical layout
  • the links are concisely labelled

How to test?

Make sure the code is written correctly

Check file in file manager to make sure the pages are there.

Upload the site and check the links and navigation that way to make sure everything works.

Get someone else to test your uploaded site to have a different opinion and point of view.

Why?

Navigation must be correct for site to be usable.

Layout should be logical to increase the usability of the site.

 

Further information on this and related topics can be found at Web site testing – WHAT, HOW, WHY?

Recipe Site Architecture

February 21st, 2006 by · 1 Comment · Site Architecture

We were given a situation in which we had a client who wanted us to design a website for him. He wanted it to display recipes. With that information we then had to develop questions in layman’s terms to discover the client’s intentions for his site, his target audience, his aim, what he wanted them to take away from the site, how to get them to return, what he wanted displayed on the site. Then we had to add to it things he may not have considered. Next we moved onto site architecture. We had to develop a plan to show how this site would be set up and then compare with each others and improve. The most important thing to consider from todays class was the five questions to ask before you build your website

  • Who is your target audience
  • What are the objectives of your website
  • What does a visitor expect from your website
  • What do you want the user to leave with
  • Why should they return

Navigation Models

February 15th, 2006 by · 2 Comments · Uncategorized

Navigation Models are the different techniques used by web designers to help users navigate their way through a website. The different models include-

-List of contents

-Breadcrumb Trail

-Horizontal top bar

-Tabs

-2-Level top (bar or tabs)

-Top and side bars

-Buttons bar with revealed drop down

-Multiple- level tree navigation

-Paging 1 2 3 4 5

-Search

Information Architecture

February 14th, 2006 by · No Comments · Information Architecture

Information architecture is the structure in which information is arranged. There are many different structures that can be used. These include ‘all in one’, ‘flat’, ‘index’, ‘daisy’, ‘strict heirarchy’, ‘multi-dimensional heirarchy’ and ‘search’. These structures can be incorporated together to create a more efficient website. A great link with information on this topic is Information Architecture Information Architecture is a way for people to find what they are looking for in the most efficient and direct manner.

Examples of these different types of structure are

Flat- Neopets

Index- Digg

Daisy- Hotmail

Strict heirarchial- Wizzard

Multi-dimensional heirarchy- Live Journal

Search- Google