Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites

 Check each of the following criteria before and after designing a page.

 Content

¾      All information is accurate; plan to update the page periodically. The "last time updated" date is given.

¾      Information is complete but not excessive or redundant. 

¾      Information is well organized and clearly labeled. 

¾      Information is interesting, informative, and worthwhile. 

¾      Information is not redundant to many other sources; there is a reason to put it on the Web. 

¾      All text has correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. 

¾      Level of content and vocabulary are appropriate for intended audience.  Content is free from stereotyping, coarse or vulgar language, or matter that could be offensive to typical users. 

¾      Author(s) of the page are clearly identified. 

¾      The page gives an email address or other way to contact authors.

 Visual and Audio Design

¾      The site has a consistent look.

¾      Graphics, animations, videos, and sounds make an important contribution; each serves a purpose. 

¾      Pages have only one or two fonts. 

¾      Each page uses a limited number of colors, especially for text. 

¾      Colors have been selected to be compatible with the Netscape 216 color palette. 

¾      Type colors/styles and text-to-background contrast have been selected for good readability. 

¾      Each graphic is designed to fit 640 x 480 pixel screens, allowing for scroll bars/toolbars. 

¾      Each page is limited to 23 screens; the most important information is at the top. 

¾      The pages are simply and attractively designed; they make a user want to read the information.

 Navigation

¾      Pages load quickly.

¾      Pages have simple, consistent navigation scheme to let users get to desired places quickly and easily. 

¾      The first page indicates clearly how the site is organized and how to get to items of interest. 

¾      Links (text and icons) are easy to identify. Graphics and sounds are clearly identified. 

¾      Icons clearly represent the information they link to. 

¾      Each supporting page has a link back to the home page.

 Miscellaneous (for larger sites and pages)

¾      Requests for private information are secured.

¾      Page information is kept short enough so that it can be printed out quickly.

¾      The user can choose to load alternate versions of the page such as text only or smaller images.

¾      The site has its own search engine for locating items within the pages.

¾      Branching is organized so that all content is no more than three clicks away from the home page.

 Use the following tips to make your sites and pages easier to design and use:

¾      Organize the site on paper ahead of time before putting it on the computer.

¾      To speed loading, limit graphics to no more than 50K and reuse images whenever possible.

¾      Use GIFs for line art or graphics with limited colors and sharp edges; use JPEGs for photos with many colors and smooth gradients. Avoid PICT and other formats that must be converted by users.

¾      Test out your page with a real browser.

¾      Use a GIF spacer (1 x 1 transparent GIF) to space paragraphs, indents, or alignments on pages.

 Note: These are guidelines and not rules.

Source: Based on criteria by Gray 0 997), Everhard (1997), and McClelland 0 997).