Structure

Accessibility, Usability, and Layout

A key concept in the website development process is the structure of the website, which is defined as “the structural design of an information space to facilitate task completion and intuitive access to content”. In this article, I will discuss the layout, accessibility, and usability choices of our website.

Layout

We understand that there is a relationship between the layout and engagement of users with the website. A good layout attracts users and displays information that is easily accessible and usable for any viewer. The layout selection for our website was chosen carefully after brainstorming and research to assure that users will find our website easy to read, understand, and navigate. We used a layout with simple symmetry to show the objectives of our website, which are to first display our assignment, which is “Project Two”, and proceed with our articles and a supplemental picture, as well as offering an “About” page to establish the reasons for the website and display the team members. On the homepage, we drew attention to the articles by splitting the screen between picture and article, with the title bolded. Our intent was to capture the users’ attention with a bold title and then draw the user to the credibility details above the heading. By displaying the author, date, and time of the article published, users can quickly affirm that the article is well-credited by displaying the details on the home page. The headers used to structure our content correctly was made to make our content easy to understand and make the organization of the website flow. Each article displayed has one major heading for the title of the article, and a short abstract of the article follows under with a picture. For several of the important pictures displayed, we have offered a short caption under the picture for those that need the picture to be read aloud. We also offer the option for users to contact us with any comments or questions and subscribe to the webpage.

Accessibility

We have made our website accessible to users in a few different ways because we understand the difficulties users with disabilities face when accessing websites. Importantly, our website is keyboard-friendly, meaning that users can use the Tab key to navigate the switch between articles on the home page and articles within each section under the Blog tab: structure, organization, visual design, and project one. In terms of interaction methods, users are able to quickly discern the structure by its headings, subsection for each article, and other features on the site. The language used throughout the webpage is grammatically correct and as easy as possible to understand. Each article can be read aloud through computer software that those with visual disabilities typically have already on their computer or can be downloaded. No background knowledge of the article topics is needed to understand the website or articles, which allows for the comprehension of any user. We included a screen-recording video on information architecture for those with reading or comprehension disabilities, to better understand the visual navigation and setup of the website.

Usability

Usability is essential in creating an environment that will capture and keep the attention of users. The usability of the website was used as the forefront of the project when creating and editing the website to ensure that the site is easy to view and understand. The instructions to view the article are straightforward. The ability to scroll through articles on the main page as well as find them categorized under the left tab allow the user to choose which way they prefer to view the information. Navigation of the website is simple, to the point, collaborative (allowing users to “like” and comment on each article). The site is also able to be accessed through several mediums such as smartphone, tablet, and computer. We followed a conventional approach for usability, which does not have any add-on features or confusing tools in order to promote ease to the user while using the site.

As discussed in the article, accessibility, usability, and layout are important elements in the process of website development and the structure of the page itself. Each element needs to be addressed when creating a web page that is successful in getting the intended message across to users effectively. Developing a clear and simple website structure is necessary in creating good engagement and comprehension with users, which I believe my team has done very well.