Why Usability?

Usability addresses the following issues :-

• Effectiveness

  Can a given task be performed without any significant difficulty. Any website that makes such tasks difficult to achieve for some or all users is, in a sense, 'failing'.

• Efficiency

  Are tasks completed quickly and easily? A website that makes the most routine tasks take multiple actions to complete is inefficient and will waste users time.

• Satisfaction

  Is the website enjoyable to use? Does the user intuitively know where to go and what to do? Users who become frustrated with a website, or who blame themselves for failure, are likely to avoid using that website in the future.

Addressing the above issues has the following positive effects :-

• Save Time and Money in Development

Meeting user requirements 'first time round' greatly reduces the need for costly revisions of a website after launch. Similarly, a user-centred design process will speed up development by establishing clear goals and ensuring only features users find helpful are implemented and features that are common are simplest to use.

• Creates better websites

  Usable websites are powerful tools. They increase efficiency and improve productivity. They also help users get the best from the functionality contained within. Poor website design often means users remaining ignorant of many features that development companies invested considerable time and money implementing.

• Improve the Sales Process

  Attractive websites that work intuitively 'out of the box' are more likely to make a positive impression during a user's first visit. Usable websites tend to be popular amongst the users, creating word-of-mouth recommendation and repeat business.

Why Accessibility?

Accessibility is the principle of making a website usable for as many people as possible. Typically aimed at the visually impaired, accessibility is about making sure there is a way to use the website for 100% of users and not just the 80-90% that typical websites cater for.

Accessibility addresses the following problems :-

• Visually Impaired

  Visually impaired users account for upto 5% of the Internet population, which does not include colour blind users. If your target market is 50 year olds and over, this figure can be closer to 20%. Pollenation try to ensure that the user can enlarge the text on their browser or that visual components have textual equivalents and that navigation does not solely rely on colour differentiation. Many other techniques can help the visually impaired user.

• Physically Handicapped

  Some users may be unable to use a mouse efficiently due to reduced hand eye coordination or tremors. Others may be unable to use a keyboard or mouse. What does 'click here' mean to these people. Pollenation will ensure that a website is optimised for use with alternative controls such as voice activation or keyboard only use.

• Alternative Access Devices

  Accessibility also addresses people who may wish to access your website's facilities using alternative devices such as PDA's or with different browsers because of the type of machine they work on. All users should be able to use a website even if it is not rendered exactly as intended.