USER ORIENTED WEBSITE INTERFACE: INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
User Oriented Website Design Incorporates Both Usability
& Usefulness
User-oriented or user-centered design focuses on the
person, and "cognitive factors (such as perception, memory,
learning, problem-solving, etc.) as they come into play during peoples'
interactions with things" (Society
for Technical Communication).
User-oriented design incorporate both usefulness and
usability. While usefulness refers to fulfilling a user's need,
usability refers to the ease of use.
"Usability is the measure of the quality of a
user's experience when interacting with a product or system -- whether
a Web site, a software application, mobile technology, or any user-operated
device." (Usability.gov)
"Usability rules the Web" (J.
Nielsen)
Can a website be prosperous without being usable?
The answer is quite simple: "If a product is not usable, people will
not use it."
Poor website usability is stopping web users from finding information
online and buying products:
- 40% of users do not return to a site when their first visit resulted
in a negative experience (Gartner)
- over 65% of buyers leave their Shopping Carts in mid-purchase (eMarketer).
If a website is not usable, users will leave it. No matter how
useful (content-rich) and aesthetically pleasing it might be.
Basic criteria for a good user-oriented interface include: ease of
learning, ease of use, simplicity, consistency and conventionality.
Conventional and predictable design helps users to implement their learning
experience and perform their tasks easily and quickly, resulting in additional
satisfaction.
"While aesthetics do not directly impact the effectiveness of a
user interface, users will be happier and therefore more productive if
they are presented with an attractive user interface" (Concepts
of User Interface Design). It also influences users' perception of
website credibility, and confidence in the reliability of the site's
information.
But, website design is NOT based on graphics design principles.
"Use Visual Design to Enhance, not Define." (J.
Nielsen).
"The fundamental activity that the Web was designed
for is READING" (Gerry
McGovern).
The website must be structured so that its content is readable, understandable,
easy to find and use. That's why visual website design ought
to follow information architecture design principles.
Website information architecture definition:
"how information is categorized, labeled and presented,
and how navigation and access are facilitated".
"The foundation of a site's information architecture is a classification
scheme that specifies the categories and sub-categories of information
within the site, arranged hierarchically, and grouped according to their
similar attributes or characteristics" (Gullikson et al.,
1999).
The information architecture design involves organizing
content at the website and web page level, and how the navigation assists
the users in finding and managing information in the site.
Information architecture design is a process that includes:
- identifying target audience, and determining their needs.
- organizing website content into effective website structures, and
relating them to meet users' needs
- creating prototype sketches and architectural wire-frames
- implementing information architecture design solution.
"The output of Information Design consists of visually delivered
information which is highly designed for the benefit of the user"
(Luigi
Canali De Rossi). Simply put, the output of information architecture
design is usable website.
Website usability and information architecture are
complementary disciplines, and their impact on the user-oriented website
design is crucial. But, it's NOT enough.
A site can be perfectly usable, but still useless.
To be useful, a website must offer relevant content and the information
users are looking for. If a website is not useful - relevant content-rich,
it can NOT fulfill users' needs. Regardless of how well structured
and easily navigable a website is, users would still leave. So, RELEVANT
CONTENT & USABILITY RULE THE WEB! Or, better yet:
User-oriented design, incorporating both usefulness
and usability, rules the Web!
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