Print2Web Class 4

Styleguide Rules

1. Your webpage. Anyone should be able to "Get It" by expending as little effort as possible. The page should be self-evident, obvious, self- explanatory.

2. Things that are interactive or clickable should be obvious and consistent.

3. Consistent and easily recognizable names should be used for categories, links, etc.

4. Create a clear visual hierarchy. Very Important. Less Important. Nowhere near as important.

5. Things that are related locally, should also be related visually.

6. Things are nested visually, to show what's a part of what.

7. Use consistent conventions for styles: Headline, Subhead, Body Cody, Caption, etc. People are used to seeing conventions in newspaper so they know what they are almost at a glance.

8. Keep the visual "noise" down as much as possible.

9. Omit needless words from all copy.

10. Remove needless instructions. When instructions are necessary reduce them to the bare minimum.

11. The page Navigation should clearly mark on every page where you are, and how you got there. Users should never be confused about how to enter or leave a page. See "Breadcrumbs" below.

12. All sites should include the following:

A way to search (if needed)
A Site ID (Logo)
A Way Home (main page of site)
Utilities (Login, Logout, Help, Privacy Policy)
Clearly defined Sections
Local Navigation for the section you are in
Breadcrumbs: A list that displays where you are and how you got there

13. When a User first entered the site they should be able to answer the following questions quickly and easily.

What is the Site Identity and Mission
What is this Site's Hierarchy
Where can I Search
How do I register
Show me where to start

14. Add a Tagline that provides a concise statement of the sites purpose.

15. Add a Tagline and a short blurb that summarizes your websites services in a concise, clear way.

16. Home page navigation can be unique, but related to inner navigation.

17. Do usability testing as soon as possible. Have 3-4 Users test the site and record their experiences and impressions. Debrief afterward and find the obvious problems with using the site and fix them.

18. Things that frustrate users:

Punishing me for not doing things your way
Asking me for personal information you don't really need
Putting long flash intros or annoying graphics in my way
Sites that look amateurish
Hiding information from me, support phone numbers, important news, even if it reflects on the company badly

19. Things that users like:

Save me steps wherever you can
Know the main things that people want to do on your site and make them easy and obvious
Know the questions I'm likely to ask and answer them
Make it easy to recover form errors. Reset Forms, Back buttons