About the Book
Over the past two decades, standards for the usability of human-computer user interfaces have emerged. To assure the quality of human-computer interfaces, practitioners trained in human factors have become routine participants in the computer software and hardware development process. But, for the vast majority of web-based materials, the developers are neither trained in human factors, nor have access to such expertise. The human factors profession, with its unique knowledge and practices, has had only a marginal impact on the World Wide Web and web developers. Traditional human factors offer many insights regarding how to achieve usable, web-based interfaces. As web-based products have begun to permeate the lives of more and more computer users, HF practitioners have begun to contemplate the human-computer interface issues arising with the web, and experiment with solutions for improving the usability of web products. However, the growth of the web has occurred at such a rapid pace that few sources have emerged as guides for the design of usable web products.
This book amasses perspectives from a broad range of experts in human factors, cognitive psychology and web development, and reports research addressing issues associated with the design and usability of web products. In doing so, it simultaneously seeks to fill two voids. First, it makes human factors expertise, knowledge and practices available to the web development community. Secondly, it provides a comprehensive source for HF practitioners responsible for the design of usable web-based products.
Table of Contents:
Contents: Preface. D.J. Mayhew, Introduction. Part I: Perspectives From Psychology. C.P. Seltzer, The Use of Investigatory Responses as a Measure of Learning and Memory. W. Marks, C.L. Dulaney, Visual Information Processing on the World Wide Web. J.P. Magliano, M.C. Schleich, K.K. Millis, Discourse Process and Its Relevance to the Web. L.A. Whitaker, Human Navigation. Part II: Web User Populations. A. Druin, M. Platt, Children's Online Environments. L. Laux, Designing Web Pages and Applications for People With Disabilities. P. Burden, J. Davies, The World Wide Web as a Teaching Resource. J. Ratner, Easing the Learning Curve for Novice Web Users. Part III: Web Design Guidelines and Development Processes. E. Grose, C. Forsythe, J. Ratner, Using Web and Traditional Style Guides to Design Web Interfaces. J.A. Borges, I. Morales, N.J. Rodriguez, Page Design Guidelines Developed Through Usability Testing. P. Vora, Human Factors Methodology for Designing Web Sites. Part IV: Web Research and Development. A.M. Wichansky, G. Hackman, Jr., Web User Interface Development at Oracle Corporation. A. Kanerva, K. Keeker, K. Risden, E. Schuh, M. Czerwinski, Web Usability Research at Microsoft Corporation. R.C. Omanson, G.S. Lew, R.M. Schumacher, Creating Content for Both Paper and the Web. C. Johnson, The Ten Golden Rules for Providing Video Over the Web or 0% of 2.4M (at 270k/sec, 340 sec remaining). Part V: Collaboration and Visualization. E.N. Wiebe, J.E. Howe, Graphics Design on the Web. S. Greenberg, Collaborative Interfaces for the Web. B.B. Bederson, J.D. Hollan, J. Stewart, D. Rogers, D. Vick, L. Ring, E. Grose, C. Forsythe, A Zooming Web Browser.
