"Usability Makes the Web Click" or "Time as the Ultimate Web Resource"

Fast Company October 1998 Pages 56-58

Jakob Nielson has designed Web pages. In fact, Mr. Nielson has advanced the concept of publishing on the Web by creating pages that "enhance the user experience". In Katherine Mieszowski's October 1998 Fast Company article, "Usability Makes the Web Click", we learn from Jakob Nielson how important it is to treat the users' time as the ultimate Web resource.

The concept that user interface is important has created a reform movement among Web designers. Why create a Cadillac (just because we can) when the driver needs a highly efficient commuter car? And, according to Mr. Nielson, all of us are interested in high efficiency when we're on the Web. Although these comments ring true, this type of approach--using human factor considerations--has been going on for years in other forms of research and usability settings (e.g., design of control panels in spacecraft to maximize response time) and much of what is concluded seems rooted in common sense.

Now that we can put moving images, flashing elements and streaming video on Web pages, Nielson contends that they are usually unnecessary, distracting and, perhaps worse, time consuming for users. To design a Web page that loads slowly even though it is visually attractive and compelling is not a good concept even from a marketing perspective. Users want "speed, utility and credibility". Studies have shown that users scan Web pages and give very little attention to them if information is too difficult to locate. A good Web page should quickly answer the question, "why should I pay attention to this?"

In his final comments, Nielson illustrates that the real potential of the Web is to give users something different than what they get through other media. For example, he points to Amazon. com, where thousands of authors are interviewed simultaneously using a single survey mechanism, something that can't be accomplished in traditional print or television media. The Web is a nonlinear world where geography, time and synchronous communication are defied by letting users decide where, when and how to access information and interact with others on the Web. Unlike most other media, in this environment, the user is in the driver's seat.

Many of the Web design guidelines outlined in the article can be applied to developing instructional Web sites. One common flaw of developing Web courses is getting lured into using design elements because they're available and illustrate application of the latest technology and not reflecting on whether it makes the best use of this new medium. Just because we can design it with bells and whistles doesn't mean we should. Two obvious examples of this are the online digitized video lecture and overuse of hypertext links.

One of the courses we converted to Web-based delivery last year has digitized video lectures. The development team failed to convince the faculty designer to consider other methods of presenting online course content. He firmly believes he needs to be seen and heard to effectively teach. The result is a jerky, digitized videotape of a talking head which requires the students to have high end hardware, downloaded software, network bandwidth, fast modems and technology that is all working together. I believe that a still photograph of the faculty with an audio lecture would be about as effective with fewer problems. Or better yet, let the students read content off-line and use the Web to connect with one another and the faculty to discuss the subject. An introductory digitized message adds a personal touch to a course but until technology improves it is not necessarily the best teaching paradigm for the Web.

In other cases, we've encouraged faculty developers to make judicious use of hypertext links. Again, just because we can send a user to another site (because a Web page exists there) isn't sound justification for doing that. Sending users away from a course Web page through hypertext links is only useful when there are clear, well-reasoned purposes for exiting the page that are apparent to both the instructor and student. Examples of good use of hypertext linking are when the learning experience either requires searching for resources or if content at the linked site is central to the lesson.

The only area where I find the comments of Mr. Nielson not applicable to using the Web to teach is the lack of attention we can expect from our users. In using this medium for instructional purposes we do expect students to take time to carefully read and thoughtfully review material presented. Although, it would a design flaw to keep students online when another method distributing materials can be used as effectively, such as the mailing hard copy expanded syllabi to the students. Reading page after page of text in which one must scroll down a computer screen is not a good environment for learning or the best use of a student's time. I agree with Mr. Nielson in his statement that the ability to communicate well online will be one of the most important job skills in the 21st century whether you are marketing products or teaching college courses.

Jakob Nielson brings home an important point in his summary recommendation to not "let the medium interfere with the message". Through thoughtful Web design, we can create useful sites that not only provide the information or experiences users seek but also serve as good examples of design to the many "newbies" on the Web. And, by avoiding the fatal flaws of Web page design, we'll have saved one of the most precious commodities of the information age--our time.

Comments from colleagues

I interviewed several colleagues about the usability of the Web and shared my essay with them. They concurred that the Web offers endless possibilities but we need to pay attention to accessibility by enabling people to find resources and information efficiently.

One person commented, "I strongly believe that speed is much more significant than bells and whistles. They are "fun" on less informational pages but more often than not I find them distracting, too. Say, for example, on one's personal home page, moving images, flashing text and audio elements are attractive to the reader. But, on an educational institution's home page, such as UMM's, less animated objects would be more appropriate."

Another colleague thought that much of what Jakob Nielson says makes very good sense and was refreshing to hear. She found it irritating when a web site looks glitzy with lots of bells and whistles, but fails to deliver on content or organization. She went on to say, "When I encounter this, I am always struck by how much the institution or business devoted to appearance and how little they thought about the usability or relevance of information presented. There's just no substitution for clarity, speed, good writing and useful information."

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1998

Answers

Karen,

Excellent summary and observations. I would be interested in hearing more about your job and the web courses you have developed. The points that your brought up about this article are valid. I know how annoyed I feel when I am navigating through a web page and I have to wait for pictures or graphics to come up.

I have developed three courses for web delivery, and have tried to keep them very simple. It is tempting to use all of this glitzy technology, but we always have to keep our end-users in mind. They probably do not have the best technology to access what we are putting into our web courses.

Thanks for your comments.

-- Anonymous, May 23, 1999