kde.org re-design usability issues

[Simon Edwards]

Hi all,

On Sunday 20 October 2002 15:35, Datschge at gmx.de wrote:
> I just wanted to note that currently at the kde-www mailing list there are
> vivid discussions about different  aproaches to the future website design of
> kde.org and possibly/ideally  its whole slew of KDE family member sites.  
> Most of its discussions are usability related, mostly led by people  which 
> are contributors here on this list as well. But it appears to me  that
> kde-usability list members weren't included in this discussion so  far so
> I'd like to give you the old news now.

It looks like the big decision is between 1 or 2 menu columns. I think the 
right answer is both! not both menus, but both designs. 2 columns for the 
front page, and 1 columns for the content pages in a site.

The 2 menu column design is good because of its portal-like qualities. It's a 
very good launch pad to other sites and deeper in the current site, which is 
exactly the kind of thing you want on the Home page of a site. The Home page 
of a site should say what the site is and also show and advertise the 
contents of the site. The Home page won't have any real content of it's own, 
it will mainly link off deeper into the site to where the real content is. 
(Think about the hallway in your house. It's the first place you go when you 
enter the front door, and although you don't spend much time there, it leads 
of to most of the other rooms in the house).

The 1 column design with the menu column on the _left_ is much better suited 
for presenting real content since it allows more space for the body text. The 
right menu from the Home page can be placed in the left column under the 
existing left column menu items.

Summary: Use 2 menu columns for the Home page, and a 1 menu column design for 
content pages.

Other comments:

* Please don't put the search facility top and center on the page. Put it in a 
high position in the menu column. Top and center on the page is prime time 
screen/page real estate, use it for something that's really important like 
the current news item or the site's tagline.  When people want to search the 
site they will look for it, don't jam it down thier throat.

* Don't EVER use underlined text except for links!!!

* What the "international" pull down does is 100% NOT clear in both of the 
designs. If it changes the language of the page, then it should be labelled 
"Language:".

* Don't use Bold for roll overs in links. It's very hard to read text when it 
is jumping between bold and normal weight.

* Don't set the link decoration (underline) for links in the content area. 
Just let the browser use the user's default setting.

* It haven't seen any vaguely convincing arguments for putting the menu column 
on the right side for the 1 column design. It's goes against a well 
established web standand and in fact is just looks odd (read: like someone 
screwed up).

Anyway, it's all looking very good and I think that you guys (Sebastian, Neil 
and Jaseone's etc) are doing a good job and are very close to a final design.

cheers,

-- 
Simon Edwards             | Guarddog Firewall
simon at simonzone.com       | http://www.simonzone.com/software/
Nijmegen, The Netherlands | "ZooTV? You made the right choice."