From: Tim Jones <Tim.Jones@S...>
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 1997 07:54:54 -0000
Subject: RE: New UFTWWWP ideas <long reply>
On Thursday, November 27, 1997 3:23 AM, Mark A. Siefert
> [SMTP:cthulhu@csd.uwm.edu] wrote:
Design
======
Don't make any of the - Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design
this is from a very good site on what to do and what
not to do at http://www.useit.com/alertbox/
1. Using Frames
Splitting a page into frames is very confusing for users since frames break
the fundamental user model of the web page. All of a sudden, you cannot
bookmark the current page and return to it (the bookmark points to another
version of the frameset), URLs stop working, and printouts become difficult.
Even worse, the predictability of user actions goes out the door: who knows
what information will appear where when you click on a link?
2. Gratuitous Use of Bleeding-Edge Technology
Don't try to attract users to your site by bragging about use of the latest
web technology. You may attract a few nerds, but mainstream users will care
more about useful content and your ability to offer good customer service.
Using the latest and greatest before it is even out of beta is a sure way to
discourage users: if their system crashes while visiting your site, you can
bet that many of them will not be back. Unless you are in the business of
selling Internet products or services, it is better to wait until some
experience has been gained with respect to the appropriate ways of using new
techniques. When desktop publishing was young, people put twenty fonts in
their documents: let's avoid similar design bloat on the Web.
As an example: Use VRML if you actually have information that maps
naturally onto a three-dimensional space (e.g., architectural design,
shoot-them-up games, surgery planning). Don't use VRML if your data is
N-dimensional since it is usually better to produce 2-dimensional
overviews that fit with the actual display and input hardware available to the
user.
3. Scrolling Text, Marquees, and Constantly Running Animations
Never include page elements that move incessantly. Moving images have an
overpowering effect on the human peripheral vision. A web page should not
emulate Times Square in New York City in its constant attack on the human
senses: give your user some peace and quiet to actually read the text!
Of course, <BLINK> is simply evil. Enough said.
4. Complex URLs
Even though machine-level addressing like the URL should never have been
exposed in the user interface, it is there and we have found that users
actually try to decode the URLs of pages to infer the structure of web sites.
Users do this because of the horrifying lack of support for navigation and
sense of location in current web browsers. Thus, a URL
should contain human-readable directory and file names that reflect the
nature of the information space.
Also, users sometimes need to type in a URL, so try to minimize the risk
of typos by using short names with all lower-case characters and no
special characters (many people don't know how to type a ~).
5. Orphan Pages
Make sure that all pages include a clear indication of what web site they
belong to since users may access pages directly without coming in through your
home page. For the same reason, every page should have a link up to your home
page as well as some indication of where they fit within the structure of your
information space.
6. Long Scrolling Pages
Only 10% of users scroll beyond the information that is visible on the screen
when a page comes up. All critical content and navigation options should be on
the top part of the page. (So why is this page long: because it is a leaf node
that is only read by people with special
interests - but I should have been more brief!)
7. Lack of Navigation Support
Don't assume that users know as much about your site as you do. They always
have difficulty finding information, so they need support in the form of a
strong sense of structure and place. Start your design with a good
understanding of the structure of the information space and communicate this
structure explicitly to the user. Provide a site map and let users know where
they are and where they can go. Also, you will need a good search feature
since even the best navigation support will never be enough.
8. Non-Standard Link Colors
Links to pages that have not been seen by the user are blue; links to
previously seen pages are purple or red. Don't mess with these colors since
the ability to understand what links have been followed is one of the few
navigational aides that is standard in most web browsers. Consistency is key
to teaching users what the link colors mean.
9. Outdated Information
Budget to hire a web gardener as part of your team. You need somebody to root
out the weeds and replant the flowers as the website changes but most people
would rather spend their time creating new content than on maintenance. In
practice, maintenance is a cheap way of enhancing the content on your website
since many old pages keep their relevance and should be linked into the new
pages. Of course, some pages are better off being removed completely from the
server after their expiration date.
10. Overly Long Download Times
I am placing this issue last because most people already know about it; not
because it is the least important. Traditional human factors guidelines
indicate 10 seconds as the maximum response time before users lose interest.
On the web, users have been trained to endure so much suffering that it may be
acceptable to increase this limit to 15 seconds for a few pages.
Even websites with high-end users need to consider download times: we
have found that many of our customers access Sun's website from home computers
in the evening because they are too busy to surf the web during working hours.
Bandwidth is getting worse, not better, as the Internet adds users faster than
the infrastructure can keep up.
--
I'd also add that background images nearly *always* make the text harder to
read
Content
=======
I'd basically use these sections, I've given them simple descriptive names,
basically from the 'book', I'm not sure names such as 'Engine Room' are as
useful.
Introduction
Rules
Systems
Ship Designs
Backgrounds
GZG
Star Trek
LOTGHH
B5
etc
Miniatures
Painting
Suppliers
Pictures
Play Aids
Counters
Computer programs
Contacts
Links
Player Locations
Campaigns
Scenarios
Conventions
When
Pictures
Tournaments
Where
PBEM
sincerely