1. Design is clear with a simple navigation system – According to Web usability expert, Jakob Nielsen, a good navigation system should answer three questions:

1. Where am I?
2. Where have I been?
3. Where can I go?

 2. Content is clear and simple – You may attract visitors with an eye-catching design, but content is what keeps them at the site and encourages them to return. Content is also the best way to boost your site in search engine rankings.

3.Support your brand. A good brand creates or reinforces a user’s impression of the site. When your site is strongly branded, that means that visitors will think of you first when they go shopping for your product or service.

4. Provide for visitor feedback. Forms are critical to the success of ecommerce sites. Without forms, you can’t have a shopping cart. But any site usually needs at least one form to allow for user feedback.
Here are a few questions that can be asked when testing the usability of a web site:

• Do visitors enjoy using the site? If so, they’ll stay longer and read more content.
• Do they understand the purpose of the site? If not, there’s no compelling reason to return.
• Is there any incentive to return after the first visit? Your site should try to be the ultimate authority on the Web for your topic. A site with depth and breadth encourages visitors to bookmark it and refer friends interested in the same topic.
• Can they recover from errors? Usability testing is the best way to test how well your site search, site map, forms, and custom error pages function. They should all work together to guide a visitor through the site and help him get where he’s going. Frustrated visitors aren’t likely to return – ever.

The above information was found at http://www.netmechanic.com/news/vol7/design_no4.htm

 The web site which i have decided to test is Tesco.

Colour Scheme – a white background with darker colours used in the foreground have been implemented into the site, this is a simple but effective scheme as it allows the user to concentrate on the site rather than get confused and distracted by the colours.

Fonts: a standard readable text is used with good use of text size on certain aspects such as main headings being larger than main body text. Good use of text spacing.

Site Layout: a consistant layout is used on every page with a predictable navigation system which will allow the user to feel comfortable with the site.

Images: most are of a reasonable size where appropriate which will help towards the download time, however some of the imaes appear to cluttered which can make the page a little confusing.

Links: there are several hyperlinks on each page, with various types doing various things. On some links the user can just click and enter the page they require, where as on others a drop down box appears. This can be a little fiddley and the links are situated so close together.

Ease of Use: the site is generally easy to use, but with there being so many links the use may get a little fed up with having to continually be clicking links for a specific page.

Advantages:

• Provides the user with more control than HTML.
• Gives a consistant look and feel to the web pages as well as allowing more control over the design and layout.
• The user is able to update several pages at once more easily without the need to edit each individual page.
• Reduces the file size of the pages to allow them to upload more quickly.

Disadvantages:

• Not compatible with all browsers.
• If one item is changed, any other items with the same name will also be changed when you may not want it to.

By clicking on the link below please feel free to take a look at a flowchart that I produced relating to a Waterfall Model. There are also a brief outline of how the flowchart uses ideas from the model and explains why a flowchart is a useful web design tool.

http://jennadineen.pbwiki.com/f/Flowchart.ppt

Here is a sample web page which i have set up as link to my Wiki.

http://jennadineen.pbwiki.com/f/SampleWeb.htm

The web Site in which I am going to build my critique around is ‘Charles Worthington’ website. This site is designed and based around a well known hair stylist who is in the spot light everyday. However from doing this exercise I hope to find results as to whether the site meets up the stylists standards.

URL Link: http://www.charlesworthington.com

Speed

When loading up the web site a small animation kicks in, even though the appearance of the site at first is not very appealing, the aim of the animation is to keep the users occupied with short phrases that are used to make the user think about the meaning behind them, while the site loads up into flash. As flash uploads the homepage in a orderly and logical manner, a fashionable and chic design is revealed. However during this process a relaxing song is played in the background but can become annoying if you are not interested in listening to this. Fortunately in the bottom left hand corner a button has been applied to allow the user to switch off the sound if they would prefer to.

The site uploads instantly on broadband but slightly longer on dial up, however for the whole homepage to be revealed and for the flash procedure to be completed; this process takes exactly 12.9 seconds, which isn’t too bad as the animated flash implementation keeps the user occupied rather than sitting around watching images and text pop up on the screen. Further into the site a small movie can be played, this is uploaded instantly and can be watched without any errors or freezing screens, which can occur on other sites.

Screen Size

As a user viewing the site on a 15” monitor screen, no problems occurred which interfered with the viewing, this was tested through the whole of the site.

The Intention of the Website

The main aim of the website is to promote and provide the user with information on hair stylist Charles Worthington, as well as illustrating the products available to interested users and services which are available at the stylist salon such as nails, spa, etc. The site is intended as a unisex website, suitable for both men and women.

To ensure the user feels at ease with the website, a easy to use navigation menu is inserted on each page to allow the user to view each page freely as they please. As well as presenting any information in the middle of the page in a separate box, which includes a scroll bar to view the text from top to bottom.

The design of the website is aimed to achieve simple but effective approach that incorporates a sharp and fresh image through contrasting colours, interlinking features and effectual use of background and foreground.

Overall Comments

As a user of the website, I found the overall design extremely effective and all elements of the site such as the use of compromising colours, text style, background and foreground features have been implemented in such a way so that all the elements work well together as one. However I did find the repeating screen used on flash when a new page was uploaded a bit repetitive at times and got a bit boring after a while.

 Curious minds suggests:

1. Clarity – within seconds of visiting a site, the user should be able to tell what services and goods the web site has to offer.
2. Identity – creating a strong identity, which users will remember in the future.
3. Useability – users can access the site without any errors, as well as download time being quick.

http://www.curiousmindsmedia.com/articles/essentials.htm 

Robin Williams suggests:

• Pages download quickly on both dial up and broad band to ensure the users stays within the site.
• Every web page in the site looks like it belongs to that site, this is done through using a specific design which is repeated throughtout each page. The design can intail a certain font for title and main text, a specific colour scheme and a logical layout.
• First page and home page fit into 640 x 460 pixel space.
• Background does not interrupt the text so the user can take in the information provided.

http://www.ratz.com/featuresgood.html 

We believe:

• Good layout with logical navigation to allow the user to view the web site with ease.
• All internal & external links work and are underlined so the user is able to recognise these features.
• Easy access to the web site without any errors.
• Effective use of colours which work well together and are suited to the intended auidence.

Poor website:www.webpagesthatsuck.com comments that the popes website is bad due to the 95 images that have to upload and we agree:http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/special_features/hf_jp_ii_xxv_en.htm