Usability & Accessibility - Mindset Then Methodology V1.0

www.gapingvoid.com

mindsetthen

methodology

What I want you to do

Site VisitorsGive feedback.Poor service is not to be put up with.

Site Owners/Designers/BuildersGet out of your head and into the world of your customer. Then do your thing.

Throughout history, the winners have been the businesses thatunderstand who their customers are,communicate with them, andmake their wants and needs an integral part of their business.

Michael Wilson, CEO - there.com

Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise tocomplex and intelligent behaviour.

Complex rules and regulations give rise tosimple and stupid behaviour.

Dee Hock

Customer-centric

• From the customer’s perspective– their needs & concerns

• Task focussed– they come to your site to do something

• Could be to get information

• Conversational– a flow of implicit and explicit questions

and responses

Other-centric

• Organisation• Products & Services• Technology• Design• The Brand• Content

We throw up some content. You go fetch it.

The “go fetch” model

Where are these sites centred?

the customer

products & services

the organisation

How many customer-centric?

Org/Product Customer

13,200 pixels

1,680 pixels

Accessible UsableWebSite

Accessible does not mean equally unusable for everyone.There is some overlap between usability and accessibility.If it’s not usable, it won’t be accessible (to anyone).

Usability & Accessibility

Plan/Design/Build:

Accessible is boring/LCD. Usability tested.Result:

People with impairments frustrated.

Plan/Design/Build:

Both integral through the complete process. Fully tested.Result:

Maximum reach.

Plan/Design/Build:

No planning. Not tested.Result:

May look pretty, may satisfy a niche audience. Generally useless.

Plan/Design Build:

Accessibility bolted on after.Result:

Compliant, theoretically OK

Accessible

Usable

Usability vs. Accessibility

Accessibility Myths

• Accessibility only benefits blind or vision-impaired users.

• Accessibility means sites are dull and boring

• Building an accessible site is expensive• People should view a web site the way the

designer intended• Keep to text-only

Speed of task completion

Deaf Blind Low

vision Mobility Reading 4 million careful owners

Beehive Bioethics Council Community Net Companies Office Department of Labour Embassies Employment Relations Service Ministry for the Environment GCSB Good Practice Funding Government Jobs

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0.5

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1.5

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2.5

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3.5

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4.5

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Task Completion Time

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tisf

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Speed of Completion = Satisfaction

Accessing a site with impairments

• Getting into their world. We can’t really know – but these ideas may help in understanding.

• Deaf – your site is in a foreign language with some recognisable words

• Blind – your site pages are accessed in a linear fashion from top to bottom– There are some facilities to skip forward/backward

• Low vision – your screen is 320x240 resolution with perhaps poor colour and fuzzy

• Mobility impaired – you must “tab” to the link or form field you want

• Reading impaired – some recognisable and unrecognisable words – hard to follow and process

Some principles

1. Listen – understand – then put yourself in their place

2. Not everyone is the same– Determine the audiences– Understand the important differences

3. Tame your magpie – and your graphics designers4. It’s all about do’s

– Speed of task completion = satisfaction

5. Customers don’t care about you or your site– They care about themselves

6. You are a service provider7. Don’t overestimate the knowledge/skill of your

customers

The common “branding” myth

• An organisation’s brand is:– Its logo– Its visual identity– Its branding statement, definition, …

• The brand is really:– The perception in the mind of the

customer.• The visual identity helps shape that perception.• The site usability is shapes it even more.

Some actions

• Deal with the politics early– stakeholders tend to be stakeholder-centric

• Establish a (documented) site charter– this lays down the objectives and can be

referenced against for design decisions

• Branding – slave or master?– it has its place – keep it there

• Don’t be a bore – create a conversation

Customers don’t care aboutyour websiteor your organisation.

They care aboutthemselves.

Show them you care about themand then they’ll start to care about you.

Let’s build a site

• Who are the audiences?

• What are their needs?• What do they want to do?

Thank you.

Contact MikeMike OsborneWeb SuccessP. 04 934 2821M. 021 675 010E. mike@websuccess.co.nz W. www.websuccess.co.nz

Blog: www.NoWombats.com

Mike OsborneAccEase LtdP. 04 934 2821M. 021 675 010E.

mike.osborne@accease.com

W. www.AccEase.com