Commandment I: Thy Content Shall not be Crap
Your textual website content is king. Do not begin graphic design until your content is complete.
More info: http://www.foraker.com/use-your-words/
Commandment II: Requireth Not Thy Users to Squint
Tiny text is the #1 complaint in user testing! Even with youngsters.
A professional web designer’s challenge is to make the text legible AND the design awesome.
Commandment III: Make Clear Unto Thy Users Their Selections
If the user takes action or makes a selection, the interface should provide feedback about what they did. This includes clicking links, checking boxes, adding things to carts, submitting forms, and so on. Tell the user they’ve succeeded or failed, and if they’ve failed, tell them EXPLICITLY what they must do to succeed.
Commandment IV: Reveal Thine Hyperlinks!
Consistency is a user’s best friend. Make it obvious to users which text or images are linked and which are not linked. The user should be able to guess correctly without “mousing around” the page. Remember: mobile users have no ability to hover over a link.
More: http://www.foraker.com/unleash-the-hounds/
Commandment V: Thy Hyperlinks Shall Not Referreth Unto Themselves
Self-referential links are hyperlinks that link to the page the user is already on. They can really confuse new users – especially on larger sites. Get rid of them! If your content management platform makes this difficult or impossible, toss it out on its head.
Commandment VI: Visited Link Status is Next to Godliness
On a well-optimized site, users do NOT come in via the home page. Indicating visited link status is very helpful in orienting new users. Again, a professional web designer’s challenge is to indicate visited links AND have the design be awesome.
Commandment VII: Thou Shalt Not Smite Thy Users with “Marketese”
Use “Google Insights for Search” to determine the real language your audience is using. Avoid jargon at all cost.
Commandment VIII: Thou Shalt Not Soundeth a Trumpet in Thy Users’ Ears!
No auto-playing music. Period. If you are a musician, or you sell music, consider offering music that the user can choose to play.
Commandment IX: Designeth for Mobile First
The world is going mobile, and businesses need to adapt. This is especially true for any site with user-generated content, bricks and mortar businesses where people need locations, hours, and phone numbers, and is essential for restaurants. You will create a better desktop website if you design for mobile first. When you circle back to the desktop website, add back in the junk you removed…if you dare!
Commandment X: Thou shalt not covet thy competitor’s spouse, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy competitors’…including his website!
Don’t assume your competitors, no matter how large their web design budgets are, have gotten it right. Terrible web design is rampant. Ask your users what they want, and design your content, navigation, and look around those needs.
Additional Resources:
- A great book called “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug: http://www.sensible.com/dmmt.html
- Good email newsletter and weekly columns from Jakob Nielsen: http://www.useit.com
- Great conference/workshop from Nielsen Norman Group: http://www.nngroup.com
- General usability information from UsabilityFirst: http://www.usabilityfirst.com/
