Week 5 - Interface Design, Information Design and the Enterprise Interface

1. Interface Design

End users to most websites are generally not as spoiled as book readers. The notion of context is usually a major oversight in web information architecture with most users usually seeing about 5% or less of an entire website at a time. In designing web interfaces, we should consider the fact that site users will need a sense of context of their place within an organization of information. We usually jump into a site or hyperlink without having any clue as to where it might lead us.

Clear Navigation Aids: Clear cut navigation aids like icons, graphic identity schemes, page titles and headings, and graphic- or text-based overview and summary screens should be a part of the interface to help users find information very quickly and easily return to the main or home page whenever need be.

No Dead End Pages: Having dead-end pages is a major interface design flaw. Since users usually follow links directly to subsection pages buried deep in the hierarchy of web sites, there should always be a homepage link and other links to other main sections within the site.

Direct Access: Giving the users direct quick access with a click or two to the information they’re seeking will be of utmost value to your site’s design. Your site’s hierarchy should be designed such that real content is just a few clicks or keystrokes away from the main menu pages of the site.

Simplicity and Consistency: Keeping the site’s layout simple and consistent can greatly improve visibility of content, hence keep visitors in the site for longer periods. Refrain from over-designing the home page to have weird looks that can easily make users wonder if they’re in the right place or not. A legible and transparent blend of text, hypertext, images and logos that depicts a consistent pattern of modular units that all share the same basic layout grids, graphic themes, editorial conventions, and organization hierarchies should be greatly considered in your design. A consistent approach to the layout of titles, subtitles, page footers, and navigation links to your homepage or related pages will reinforce the user’s sense of context within the site.

Design Integrity and Stability: Designing for integrity and stability should be highly considered. Using high editorial, grammatical and design standards instills confidence into the end users about the information they’re consuming. Keep in mind the functional stability of your website from two ends: getting things right the first time as you design the site, and then keeping things functioning smoothly over time. You will need to constantly assure the functionality of all links to other pages within and without your site all through your design since information on the web is very volatile and links to external sources of information can always stop working without any warnings.

Feedback and Dialogue: Direct links for feedback and dialogue with the webmaster for comments, inquiries and even suggestions should be included within the interface.

Bandwidth and Interaction: Knowing who’s accessing your site and from what location is an added plus to your design, especially in the allocation of network bandwidth and interaction. Long delays (10 secs or more) on websites typically frustrates end users. Potentially slow dynamic content components on your site such as RSS, text from content management systems and other data feeds can slow the loading of web pages. Analyzing your web server logs or using tools like Google Analytics to understand your website’s interactions can greatly help in its performance.

Interface Design Conventions: Conventions now exist for the design of interfaces with most websites converging on a relatively consistent layout of header, footer, local navigation, and content elements that together make a useful, familiar starting point for the interface design. However, always keep in mind that the web page content always comes ahead of the interface and not the other way round.

• Header Area: Since the web page headers convey your organization or site’s identity, they are probably the most important elements in making a collection of web pages feel like a “Live” site rather than a random array and assembly of text, files and hypertext. Use existing provable convention to design your site header because this might make the difference in whether or not a user will click another button on this site when they hit the landing page.
• Left or Right Columns: Left and Right columns should also be designed with existing convention similar to other successful sites and studies which have proven that specific information usually resides on either the right or left column of the page.
• Breadcrumb Trails: The infusion of breadcrumb trails might not be a bad idea to aid users in keeping track of their location within your site.

 

2. Information Design

Web documents are still evolving in the presentation and standardization of content, at a faster rate than traditional information structured in printed books. There exists conventions for editorial and text organization which can greatly help IAs create very clear, comprehensive, and consistent information designs. The Chicago Manual of Style, as well as other guides like the Franklin Covey Style Guide for Business and Technical Communication and the Gregg Reference Manual are very useful guides to aid in the structuring and organization of content within web sites.

Freestanding Pages: Despite the marked similarities between website design and those of printed materials in books, websites contain more freestanding pages because a single web page may be the only part of a site that some users will see. Given these inherent difficulties in website design, the best design strategy will definitely be to apply a few fundamental document design principles consistently in every web page you create, which are the same as the basic elements of every informative document - who, what, when and where.

• Who’s the author? This information is usually overlooked, but knowing who’s speaking guides the reader of the information to easily figure out whether or not it's an individual or an institution and what type of person or organization the writer is aligned with.
• What is the end user consuming? Clearly present the page title and major headings both for user and search engine consumption.
• When was the information originally presented to the public, or when was it last updated? These are all important elements in your presentation.
• Telling users your origin and corporate affiliations is also very important, even though nowadays in the world wide web, the “where” is usually very difficult to isolate as information spans across thousands of other web sites.
• The home page URL at the end of each web page might prove to be very helpful since tons of materials are printed out of web pages, but tracing back the origins usually proves tricky.

3.  The Enterprise Interface

Nowadays, the website might be the face of the Organization or Enterprise to the entire world. No doubt today most large corporations have well-established corporate identity programs that now include comprehensive web design and interface standards. The user interface, information architecture of an enterprise’s website sells that organization to the outside world. Unlike smaller companies and public sites, as well as certain colleges and university sites which might be poorly organized, the enterprise website should adhere to consistent and widely implemented web publishing standards.

A consistent, comprehensive long term approach to the enterprise interface is the best way to maximize the return for the enormous investments that companies make in web publishing and web applications.

Incorporating the user into your your site and user interface design might prove a very worthy investment. Chaotic designs without the end user in mind sends out a message of a “laissez faire” attitude within the enterprise which might have the adverse effect of shunning users, hence potential customers away from the site. Employing a consistent, comprehensive interface and design standard throughout the organization’s web presence ensures that users are most productive, efficient, and overwhelmingly more satisfied.

Coherence, Symbolism and Positioning are the three primary aims for enterprise web interface programs.

• Coherence: Coherency in the clear presentation of the enterprise and its structure and functioning, as well as services and products to clients goes a long way in transposing to the public the efficacy and proficiency in delivery of such enterprises.
• Symbolism: An organization’s web presence tells all about the social cohesion, common purpose and culture, given the fact that telecommuting and on-line offices have become a part of our daily routines today.
• Positioning: Defining your identity and stressing your position on the web to stand out as unique might be a very determinant entity during your design. When a user visits your site, will they return? Such questions should be answered when you present your user interface to the public/end users.