Web is a specific interactive
system which is in a wide range of application areas, but there are with
different degrees of usability problems. Therefore, it is necessary to
provide a design method for Web usability. Based on the theory of user
centered design (UCD) and usability engineering principles, Web
usability design includes three aspects: user research, Web design, and
Web evaluation. User research focuses on target users, and researches
user's goal, behavior and views by user modeling based on personas. Web
design focuses on information architecture design, readability design,
search design and page design to design the self-described Web user
interface with high-usability. Web evaluation is a measuring means for
iterative process of Web usability design. The method will be a
guideline to design and improve Web usability for designers.
Web is hailed as one of the greatest inventions in the twentieth century, and its rapid development not only provides unprecedented convenience channels for global communications, but also affects all aspects of human life. Most websites are ever growing, evolving collections of information and services.These information and services have been a large number of applications in the office, business management, shopping, and entertainment etc. They provide much wider opportunities for businesses and much richer services for users. At the same time, Web is a complex information environment, and a specific human-machine interactive interface. Compared to the traditional software interface, Web interface is back at least 10 years .
As using Web, users find it difficult to learn, complex to operate, or not easy to understand. According to Jakob NielsenΓΏs studies, websites are with different degrees of website usability problems generally. If the user isn’t satisfied with it at the first visiting, 40% of users will not visit the site again. Thus, the usability problems of websites have broad universality and severity, and will have a negative impact on websites’ development. Therefore, in Web time, to achieve the purpose of the site, it should allow users to feel good usability. Web usability has moved from a “nice to have” to a “must have” . We must find ways to reduce usability problems, and design high-usability website.
The only goal of the human-computer interaction (HCI) is to meet user needs and expectations as much as possible, and then to improve the usability of software systems. Usability methods have from the beginning of times, that is to say the early 80’s, always included users to varying degrees. The usability is an important indicator of quality of the interactive IT product or system. Nielsen has pointed out that the usability is effective, easy to learn, efficient, easy to remember, the fewer mistakes and satisfaction for product users . The international standard ISO 9241-11 defines usability as follows: effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction what are qualities of products in a particular environment for a specific user for specific purposes. The concept of usability engineering appeared, as people have an emphasis on the quality of product since the 80s of last century, and then has correspondingly formed a popular area in academia and industry. Usability engineering is an engineering methodology for the IT product and user interface development, throughout the product life cycle stages. Its core is UCD methodology, stressing from the user's point of view to design and development .
