Comments on: On Aesthetics and Usability in Design http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2007/01/22/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/ web • content • marketing • navigation • seo • social media Sat, 09 Jul 2011 15:21:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mp4 Rob http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2007/01/22/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/comment-page-1/#comment-442 Mp4 Rob Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:49:49 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=80#comment-442 This is very useful, I based some of the techniques discussed here on a site I did for a client recently. By: Dollar Demon - Make money online http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2007/01/22/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/comment-page-1/#comment-441 Dollar Demon - Make money online Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:59:07 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=80#comment-441 Thanks for sharing - great video! I would also like to add that I agree with the statement left by Eric "When selling online the objective is not just maximizing usability, the objective is maximizing sales and profits." By: Web Design UK - Barry Mitchell http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2007/01/22/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/comment-page-1/#comment-440 Web Design UK - Barry Mitchell Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:06:47 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=80#comment-440 I agree with what she is saying about using validated code and also that a site should be designed from the users point of view, after a website should not be a personal toy for the owner. About keeping the code validated; consider if you are using the Firefox browser and you change the view to "no style and you have a bit the start of a paragraph tag that you have not closed like this <p> Teh bit of text wll not then be shown in the style less view as it will be seen as being part of the code in the <p> tag so the text will not be shown to the viewer. Stupid and simple mistakes like this can kill a page off both to a search engine and to the person reading it on text only view.. She obviously knows her stuff but so should any one who is writing code for a website. I do try to validate all code on all the sites I make and I would say it is very good practice to validate and not to do it just as a badge to show off that you have taken time to write your website code. The client needing the site made is not always right( in fact they are usually dumb to what is really needed on a website)</p></p> Teh bit of text wll not then be shown in the style less view as it will be seen as being part of the code in the

tag so the text will not be shown to the viewer. Stupid and simple mistakes like this can kill a page off both to a search engine and to the person reading it on text only view.. She obviously knows her stuff but so should any one who is writing code for a website. I do try to validate all code on all the sites I make and I would say it is very good practice to validate and not to do it just as a badge to show off that you have taken time to write your website code. The client needing the site made is not always right( in fact they are usually dumb to what is really needed on a website)

]]> By: Eric Graham http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2007/01/22/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/comment-page-1/#comment-439 Eric Graham Mon, 25 Jun 2007 07:30:33 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=80#comment-439 I agree... Following good usability “best practices” can go a long way towards improving conversion rates on your website. However, as actively involved as I am in usability testing and the usability community, I often find myself at odds with many of the usability “Gurus” recommendations. Particularly when these recommendations are aimed at encouraging ecommerce merchants to follow usability best practices simply for usability’s sake. When selling online the objective is not just maximizing usability, the objective is maximizing sales and profits. Eric By: Heidi Cool http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2007/01/22/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/comment-page-1/#comment-438 Heidi Cool Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:23:39 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=80#comment-438 Helen, I agree that "usability" is tricky. It's such a broad topic, that it is hard to determine what one means. I suspect most people think mostly of navigational issues—how easily can users traverse the site—but it could also refer to content, colors, fonts, javascript, Flash, etc., not to mention specific accessibility issues. MySpace is successful despite its clunkiness. Perhaps users don't expect a lot. So many Web sites are poorly designed that users are used to having to work at getting around. If they value the content, they'll put up with some inconvenience. That said I think it behooves us all as designers to try to make sites that are easier to navigate, read, and use—whatever that may mean. For me that means menus that allow users to get around the site from any page, an uncluttered look, fewer but logical menu items—so users aren't confused with too many choices, meaningful word choices, and much more than I can address in one comment. I also agree with you re: <a href="http://www.useit.com" / rel="nofollow">http://www.useit.com. I've read some interesting articles there, but it is hard to navigate. While he strives for simplicity, the sheer number of items on the main page make it hard to decide where to go. There's also no introductory content to explain where one is and what the site is all about. It doesn't take much in the way of copy to do that—you accomplish that with your <a href="http://www.designinterviews.com/" rel="nofollow">title and subhead</a>—but it is important information to include. I'll try to delve into this more in a future blog post. http://www.useit.com. I've read some interesting articles there, but it is hard to navigate. While he strives for simplicity, the sheer number of items on the main page make it hard to decide where to go. There's also no introductory content to explain where one is and what the site is all about. It doesn't take much in the way of copy to do that—you accomplish that with your title and subhead—but it is important information to include. I'll try to delve into this more in a future blog post.]]> By: Helen Walker http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2007/01/22/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/comment-page-1/#comment-437 Helen Walker Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:38:40 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=80#comment-437 To my opinion usability is a tricky word. The reason for that is that it is too general. I agree with Kim on being able "to use a web site properly", but does it always work? For example, MySpace design is awful, yet the project is extremely popular... I would also be very interesting to know what she, or maybe you, guys, think about Jacob Nielsen. He is another "usability guy", but if look on his website at www.useit.com, I doubt you'll approve it as capable of being used properly. http://www.useit.com, I doubt you'll approve it as capable of being used properly.]]> By: Brad http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2007/01/22/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/comment-page-1/#comment-436 Brad Sun, 29 Apr 2007 02:28:08 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=80#comment-436 Excellent video Ryan. Thanks for sharing that. I completely agree with Kim in that most webmasters spend their time and money making a site that "they" like, rather than doing what the visitor likes. I've found surveying our clients is a great way to better understand our target market. Doing that has increased our conversions to our call to action considerably. By: Ryan Johnston http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2007/01/22/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/comment-page-1/#comment-435 Ryan Johnston Mon, 23 Apr 2007 23:39:21 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=80#comment-435 Very good comment about doing what is best for the client rather than best for the designer. I've added a link to this conversation (under Usability) in my wiki for Professional Web Developers - http://www.ryanj.org/wiki --ryanj http://www.ryanj.org/wiki --ryanj]]> By: Heidi Cool http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2007/01/22/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/comment-page-1/#comment-434 Heidi Cool Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:25:03 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=80#comment-434 Brandon, Kevin found this video at <a href="http://videos.webpronews.com/2007/01/09/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/" rel="nofollow">http://videos.webpronews.com/2007/01/09/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/</a>. If you visit that page they include instructions for including the video on your own page. They also offer their content in downloadable formats such as .mp4 and .mp3. http://videos.webpronews.com/2007/01/09/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/. If you visit that page they include instructions for including the video on your own page. They also offer their content in downloadable formats such as .mp4 and .mp3.]]> By: Brandon http://www.heidicool.com/blog/2007/01/22/on-aesthetics-and-usability-in-design/comment-page-1/#comment-433 Brandon Sun, 22 Apr 2007 06:49:18 +0000 http://www.heidicool.com/blog/?p=80#comment-433 so, is it okay if I repost this video ? thanks