2007 - 2005 Newsletters

Links

May

Should All Links be Underlined? - Web page links are the primary means by which users navigate Web sites.

Domain Names

March

Creating Usable Domain Names - Characteristics and strategies to help you create memorable and useful domain names.

User Testing

January

User Testing Aids Selection of Web Applications - In selecting a Web application, HHS knew ease of use would be important.

Credibility

December

Web Site Credibility - How do you optimize the credibility of your Web sites?

Navigation

November

Breadcrumb Navigation - Do breadcrumbs improve user understanding and performance?

April

Navigation: Left is Best - Navigational structures that elicit the fastest performance.

Usability Testing

September

Determining the Correct Number of Usability Test Participants - This article discusses a formula to estimate the number of participants needed.

May

Usability Labs: Portable Versus Fixed - The benefits of using a portable versus fixed lab.

March

Getting the Complete Picture with Usability Testing - To succeed with usability testing, measure effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction.

Onscreen Reading

August

Reading Onscreen: The Effects of Line Length on Performance - How long should line lengths be to read on computer screens?

Design

February

Consider as Many Design Alternatives as Possible: The Value of Parallel Design - Parallel design helps you to develop and evaluate different ideas before settling on a single approach.

Usability SOW

January

Usability Statements of Work - Four sample statements of work that you can use.

Usability Testing

December

Recruiting User Testing Participants - There are four main steps to recruit participants for usability studies.

October

Judging the Severity of Usability Issues on Web Sites: This Doesn't Work – Even highly experienced usability professionals disagree when ranking usability issues.

July

The Value of Iterative Design - The more "test, make changes, retest" cycles, the better your system's usability will be.

Aging

November

Age-Related Research-Based Usability Guidelines - The effects of aging on a person's ability to interact with Web-based systems.

Audience Segmentation

September

Segmenting Your Audiences - You can use personas to define your audiences and their goals.

Optimizing Usability

August

Four Basic Activities to Reach Optimal Usability - What is the best research-based approach for designing usable and useful computer-based systems?

Prototypes

June

Paper Prototypes Work as Well as Software Prototypes - Is a high-fidelity prototype necessary to have a meaningful usability test?

Design

March

Users Are Not Good Designers - For a more accurate set of user requirements, have your users involved in the design and development of a new system.