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Usability

Web site usability refers to how easy it is for people to use your Web site. Usability includes interoperability, navigability and accessibility.

Sarah Horton's book Access By Design, and her Universal Usability Web site are good general resources on the topic.

Interoperability

HTML pages can look very different in various situations because people will be using different:

• platforms (computer types, PDAs, cell phones)
  
  
• browser software (various versions of Netscape, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, or other browsers)
  
  
• settings (screen resolution, font size, etc.).

Test your Web site in many computing environments. One way to do this is to identify a group of people on various platforms and configurations that can help you test your site iteratively as you develop it.

Navigability

The first step in navigation is making sure users can get to your site. If you are redesigning a site or moving pages around, make sure you create redirects to point users from your old site/page to your new one.

The larger a Web site gets, the more confusing it is to a user. If people can find their way around your site, it is navigable. When designing your site, keep in mind that people will not always understand where you’ve put things. Here are two ways to keep your site navigable:

Use good labels
Use links that have a meaning and use them consistently. For instance, if you have a link to a feedback form, call it something useful such as "feedback," and don’t, in another place call it "contact us" (though this is another fine label if you should choose it).

Chunk your content
As you’re planning your Web site, list all of the pages that you have now and expect to develop in the future. Then organize them into logical groups. Give each group a logical label, or name. Then use these labels to link to these sections of your site, where you list the items in that section.

Accessibility for people with disabilities

Please see the Accessible Technology Initiative (ATI) site for information about the accessibility requirements for SDSU Web content.