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Killersites Forum Blog – Two Questions to Remember – Killersites Web Design Magazine

Killersites Forum Blog – Two Questions to Remember


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Hey Everyone,

Here are two good questions to ask yourself before you start any project, from our Killersites Forum Community!

Two questions to remember

Two questions that should form the basis of every project you start, every decision you make.

* Does what I want to do assist the user?[/*]
* Does what I want to do cause problems for the user?[/*]

The first should always be Yes, the second always No.

Will a sound effect when the page opens assist the user? Not likely?
Will a sound effect hinder the user? Likely yea, likely causing issues for screen readers and be annoying to most users.

Will a Flash thing-a-ma-jig assist the user? (Maybe, some argue it makes the site more interesting and pleasant)
Will the Flash thing-a-ma-jig hinder the user? (it may be an issue for those with cognitive disabilities or epilepsy)

These questions should always be staring at you. Every decision should start with them… the answers may vary between target groups or subjects so I will not say any more than you are creating a web site as a service, so nothing on it should block the user and everything on it should be designed to help them do what they came for.

There is a third question: “Does the site need this?” Sometimes the first two are not clear. Do weather or stock reports assist the user? Maybe, and if the site is based on that fine. But does a web accessibility blog need to show Juneau weather? or stocks none of you may be interested in? No, so though it may be of use to some visitors, it may be too much content and distracting to others… or they may feel the site is unprofessional and does not even know what it is about.

So ask your self those two questions, and if you are still not sure, ask the third and be honest. Think of a penny watching you and remind yourself that web sites are about the user and not the developer or owners ego. We build for the little guys regardless of who pays us.


Written by: Kyle (LSW)

You can take a look and get involved with the original post and discussions here!

Thanks,

Jody
Killersites.com