Boston STC Meeting

December 14, 2005

Making The Web Easier For Everyone:

Lessons Learned from Five Years of Web Usability Research

Tom Tullis
Senior Vice President, Human Interface Design
Fidelity Investments

This talk summarizes some of the key findings from hundreds of usability tests of websites conducted in our Usability Lab at Fidelity Investments over the past five years. A key theme is how to improve usability and accessibility of websites for the broadest range of possible users, including those who are older or who have disabilities. The key lessons are illustrated with examples from actual sites and video clips from the lab. The lessons include:

• The importance of consistency in a website
• "Finding" tools like site search and a site map
• Consistent navigation mechanisms
• Page load times
• Issues surrounding the presentation of links and text
• Accessibility issues
• Use of screen real estate
• Protecting the user from errors
• The design of the homepage itself
  

Pointers to various resources, including online tools that can help in addressing some of these issues, are included.

Download:

• PowerPoint Slides (PDF, 2 MB)