Help users understand what things are and how to use them

Introduction

To be able to use a site or application, people need to know what all controls and elements are on your page and how to use them.

Not everyone finds learning new things easy, and not everyone can easily remember designs that are unfamiliar to them. The more people need to figure things out, the more likely they are to have problems using a web resource.

For example, users cannot always easily learn new design metaphors, or remember things they learned, such as users with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. Without these skills, it can be much harder or impossible for them to find what they need, work out what the items do and how to use them.

In addition, users can be overwhelmed by too many options, or too much information. If the individual’s reading is slow, then too much information mixed together will make it difficult or impossible to use the site.

Using familiar designs, familiar terms and familiar symbols are key to using the web for users who will struggle to remember new symbols and design. They need the following to be familiar:

• Element location: Place elements in expected locations. For example, people may look for the search on the top right hand corner of a page. If it is somewhere else it will be hard to find.
• Symbols: Use familiar symbols. For example, people may look for a question mark for help. If you use a different symbol fewer people will find help.
• Text: Use familiar terms. For example, some people have a limited vocabulary. Uncommon terms may cause them difficulty.
• Getting help: Always make it easy to find the help.

Personalization can be extremely useful for designers who want to offer familiarity and flexibility. Familiarity helpsusers with cognitive and learning disabilities but is often based on the needs of the individual user. Personalization allows users to customize their interface, which is important as what is familiar for one user may not be familiar to another.

Pages

• User Stories

Patterns

• Make the purpose of your content clear
• Make each step clear
• Group and highlight information with graphical indicators
• Break media into chunks
• Make the purpose of each section clear
• Clearly identify controls and their use
• Use obvious Structure and Relationships
• Sub-menu items are easy to identify
• Sub-menu items are logical
• Use a design that is likely to be familiar
• Use a consistent visual design
• Use symbols that help the user