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Why is usability research important?
What good is it if a web site has a lot of expensive
graphics but the users can't find basic information
they need?
One user reports his recent frustrating experience with
a web site:
"I went to the corporate web site of a
supplier to order a single part that I needed.
The company had clearly spent a lot of effort
on the site as it was fairly complex. I spent
over 20 minutes trying to find this one part that
I wanted to order, then finally gave up in frustration.
I sent an email to the company letting them know
what a miserable web site they had and why I was
going to be ordering from their competitor from now
on..."
-- J.G., Civil Engineer
One web site belonging to a web development
company actually suggested, "Why
fill your site with a lot of content when you can
have graphic images instead?" It is important
to remember that it is the content that drives the
design of a good web site. Too many graphics
and animations and the pages download slowly.
Until the majority of the population has access to
high-speed internet connections, page size must be
a primary consideration in web page design.
At NewlightSoftware.com, we understand the
research done in the area of human-computer interaction
and design with the end user in mind.
Compromises sometimes must be made, but the issues
in each case must be weighed very carefully.
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