Chapter 5 Flashcards

Question

Six qualities that make up good UX

Answer 1

* Findability – Can I find it easily? Does it appear high up in the search results? How long does it take me to find something on the site? Does the three click rule work on this site? * Accessibility – Can I use it when I need it? Does it work on my mobile phone, or on a slow Internet connection? Can I use it as a disabled person? * Desirability – Do I want to use it? Is it a pleasant experience, or do I dread logging in? * Usability – Is it easy to use? Are the tools I need intuitive and easy to find? * Credibility – Do I trust it? Is this website legitimate? * Usefulness – Does it add value to me? Will I get something out of the time I spend interacting with it?

Answer 2

* Who is the user? * What are the user’s wants and needs from your platform? * Why is the user really coming to your website? * Where is the user most likely to be in their customer journey when they visit your site? * What are the user’s capabilities, web skills and available technology? * How can the site facilitate the customer journey to conversion and purchase? * What features would make the user’s experience easier and better?

Answer 3

...a mobile device, with users accessing the Internet through either a smartphone or tablet (think with Google, 2016). This number is increasing every year and is expected to be over 70% by 2019 (Internet Society, 2015). Therefore, designing for mobile must be a priority.

Answer 4

* Goal orientated * Time conscious * Search dominant * Locally focused

Answer 5

* Small screens * Difficult inputs * Slow connection speeds * Slow hardware

Answer 6

1. Mobile websites (called mobi sites) 2. Native and web applications (called apps) 3. Responsive websites (websites that adapt to the device).

Answer 7

* Links that are blue and underlined * Navigation menus at the top or left of the web page * The logo in the top left hand corner which is linked to take the user back to the home page * Search boxes placed at the top of the page, using standard wording such as ‘search’, or a magnifying glass icon.

Answer 8

* Never resize windows or launch the site in a pop-up. * Do not use entry or splash pages i.e. a page that site visitors encounter first before reaching the home page. * Flash is no longer used to design websites. Unaided, most search engine spiders cannot effectively crawl Flash sites, and Flash usually doesn’t work on many mobile devices. * Don’t distract users with ‘Christmas trees’ such as blinking images, flashing lights, automatic sound, scrolling text and unusual fonts.

Answer 9

* Reduce loading time. Try to keep content and actions on the same page as this ensures better performance as there are fewer page loads. Encourage exploration especially on touchscreens, users like to browse elements and explore. This makes them feel in control. * Give feedback. Ensure that it is clear when the user performs an action. This can be achieved through animations and other visual cues. * Communicate consistently. Ensure that you deliver the same message across all your touchpoints, for example, using the same icons on the website as you would on the mobile app prevents users from having to relearn how you communicate. * Predict what your user wants. Include functionality such as autocomplete or predictive text. Remove as much manual input as possible to streamline user experience.

Answer 10

the simpler one

Answer 11

• Lots of empty space. In design terms, this is referred to as negative or white space. Though, of course, it need not specifically be white. Dark text on a light background is easiest to read. In general, the more effectively ‘breathing room’ is placed between various page elements, lines of text, and zones of the page, the easier it is for the user to grasp where everything is. * Fewer options. Studies have found that people faced with fewer choices generally choose more quickly and confidently, and are more satisfied with their decision afterwards (Roller, 2010). * Plain language. Unless your website is aimed at a highly specialised technical field, there’s usually no need to get fancy with the words you use. Clear, simple, well-structured language is the best option when creating a great user experience. • Sticking to conventions. As we’ve said before, conventions are excellent shortcuts for keeping things simple for users. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel and try to teach your users a whole new way of navigating a website.

Answer 12

* Looks – does it look professional and beautiful? * Prominent phone numbers and addresses are easy to locate – this assures the visitor that there are real people behind the website, and that they are easily reachable. * Informative and personal ‘About us’ – some customers want to see the inner workings of a company and are interested in the head honchos. Consider including employee pictures and profiles to add personality to the site. * Genuine testimonials – testimonials are a great way to show potential customers what your current customers have to say about your organisation. Trust is vital, and this is one way to encourage it. Video testimonials can be particularly effective, assuming your audience does not face data restrictions. * eCommerce – using a reputable sales channel helps your websites credibility. * Social media – having a social media presence often goes further towards establishing credibility than testimonials, which could have been faked. • Logos of associations and awards – if you belong to any relevant industry associations or have won any awards feature them. Not only does this go a long way towards establishing your credibility, but it will show that you’re at the top of your game, a notch above the competition. * Links to credible third-party references or endorsements – this is a way to assert your credibility without tooting your own horn. * Fresh, up-to-date content – a news section that was last updated a year ago implies that nothing has happened since or that no one cares enough to update it. • No errors – spelling and grammar mistakes are unprofessional, and while the large majority of readers may not pick them up, the one or two who do will question your credibility. This extends to broken links, malfunctioning tools, and interactive elements that don’t work as advertised.

Answer 13

* What the site should achieve * What the user wants and needs * What makes the content unique, valuable or different * The tone and language used

Answer 14

1. Structure • Highlighting or bolding key phrases and words • Using bulleted lists • Using paragraphs to break up information • Using descriptive and distinct headings 2. Hierarchy: On the page, use an inverted pyramid style or F structure for your copy. 3. Relevance

Answer 15

The visualised structural plan for how the website’s | pages will be laid out and organised.

Answer 16

Test as much as possible, as often as possible, | and as early as possible.

Answer 17

Balsamiq (https://balsamiq.com) bills itself as a ‘rapid wireframing tool’ and is great for creating fun, low-fidelity wireframes and simple prototypes. Axure (www.axure.com) is an all-purpose prototyping tool that allows you to create fully interactive wireframed websites without needing to code anything. A useful feature is that it also generates technical specifications for developers to work from based on the interactions and links created in the prototyping process. Gliffy (www.gliffy.com) is a web-based tool that allows you to create a wide range of diagrams, everything from wireframes to sitemaps to charts. Invision (www.invisionapp.com) is a web based tool that allows you design prototypes across web and mobile. Morae (www.techsmith.com/morae.html) is a good place to start if you’re looking for a web-based replacement for user labs. Pop (https://marvelapp.com/pop/) or Prototyping on Paper, is a free app for prototyping apps on mobile.