Web design 'should incorporate usability from the start'

01/08/2008

A new web design project should not get underway before first considering usability, it has been advised.

Usability consultant Mona Patel told IT Week that it is a common misconception that usability can be tacked onto a website after it has been designed and developed.

However, companies should steer clear of this approach and instead make the user experience the heart of their project from the start, she said.

She commented: "If a client has a problem with the checkout, for example, or wants to improve the way users navigate round the site to increase cross-selling and up-selling opportunities, we need to understand the stakeholder vision for the site and what the hurdles are in getting there."

Usability can also be a key issue when it comes to website branding, according to a Precision Marketing column by David Hamill of User Vision.

The expert suggested that overly stringent branding guidelines - such as colours and typography - can negatively affect usability and, in turn, impact on the brand itself.