WHAT'S A WUI?

B Y  S Y L V I A   A.   L O W D E N
Hoosier Chapter

Most software apps (Kai’s Power Tools being one of the chief exceptions) conform to the standard Window’s GUI. A menubar, a toolbar and a large working area. Particularly complicated apps may include floating toolbars and information windows. Regardless, the GUI exists to enable the user to perform a function.

The WUI’s reason for being may be one of many things:

• Research
• Data warehousing
• Entertainment
• Buying/selling
• Business-to-business transactions

An effective web site requires an effective WUI. And, if the site is very large, an effective information architecture. (But that’s a topic for another column.) It appears that the WUI is getting off to a more respectable start than the GUI. Designers and developers already seem to understand that a web site’s user interface can make or break a web site. That doesn’t mean they come up with good WUIs, but at least they are talking the talk.

It’s impossible to cover everything involved in creating a good WUI in this small column. But, it might help to consider some of the following items when planning web site user interfaces.

Ask them what they want.
I know it seems obvious but I can’t tell you how many times I have worked with company officials who forge blindly ahead, secure in their own mind that "Daddy knows best."

Give it to them.
If you are going to go through the trouble soliciting user opinions, take heed. They may not be able to phrase things in the most current technical jargon, but they can provide valuable insight into what makes a web site work for them. And, isn’t that the way to measure the success of a web site – from the user’s point-of-view?

Strive for the intuitive.
Knowing your audience allows you to communicate easier with them. Using meaningful metaphors, such as a binnoculars icon representing a search button, can help immensely. An intuitive user interface is easy to use without the user consciously knowing why. That’s a good sign. It’s like other forms of technical communication, the user notices the lack of a good interface more than he or she notices the presence of a good one.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist! Again, to those of us in technical communications, it seems obvious. Stick with one navigation scheme. Try to keep page layout consistent from page to page unless you encounter a compelling reason to change. The larger the web site, the more important it is to be consistent.

Icons and labels provide the roadmap.
Users should always know where they are, where they have been and where they can go from here. Hierarchical labels help users to know what they are burrowing into and how to return from whence they came.

Group links and sections appropriately.
Does a link for IT Training go on the IT page or the general Training page? Only you, having conscientiously studied your audience, can say for sure. But if you put IT Training on the Training page, make sure that all training goes on the Training page. Likewise, if you decide IT Training belongs on the IT page, then Accounting training should be on the Accounting page, Purchasing training should be on the Purchasing page, and so forth.

Small graphic files.
Yes, size does matter – but not how you think! You don’t have to sacrifice nice looking graphics for quick downloading time. Learn to optimize your graphics’ filesizes by shrinking the color palettes, and selecting the best file format (.gif or .jpg) for the image you want to display. If you still have large graphic files, consider another design. A homepage that takes two minutes to download may rarely see the light of day.

Not too busy, not too plain.
As a former member of the I-Hate-Frames-Club, I used to automatically dismiss any WUI that used frames. It seemed that the urge to clutter the screen with as many frames as humanly possible was unbearable. The result was tiny little windows with links jumping from block to block with no discernable rhyme or reason. Fortunately, designers have figured out how to use frames in ways that truly add to the web site. On the flip side, studies have shown that a page considered "readable" in the standard paper-based document sense is thought of as less authoritative. There is a balancing act here that may be best learned from experience.

Too much motion can make the user seasick.
Many users find the movement of animated GIFs irritating and distracting. Avoid repetitive motion that goes on forever. Trying applying pauses or direction changes in the motion.

Basic Browser Functionality.
Not all browsers display like your does. Many sites serve their users best by sticking to the basics. If the most popular browsers don’t support certain features, consider other methods. Otherwise, you will have to choose between maintaining more than one version or losing a good chunk of your audience.