ptg16476052610 LESSON 22: Designing for User Experience
repeat users crave. However, understanding what sort of audience you have can help you
determine how to assign your resources.Determining User Preferences
In addition to the various levels of experience that visitors have, everyone has his own
preferences for how he wants to view your web pages. How do you please users? The
truth is, you can’t. But you can give it your best shot. Part of good web design is antici-
pating what visitors want to see on your site. This becomes more difficult if the topics
you discuss on your site are of interest to a wider audience.
Everyone sees the Web differently. Sometimes this is due to user interests, but other
times it’s because of special needs. Therein lies the key to anticipating what your custom-
ers need on your web pages.
A topic such as “Timing the Sparkplugs on Your 300cc Motorcycle Engine” is of interest
to a more select audience. It will attract only those who are interested in motorcycles—
more specifically, those who want to repair their own motorcycles. It should be relatively
easy to anticipate the types of things these visitors would like to see on your site. Step-
by-step instructions can guide them through each process, while images or multimedia
can display techniques that are difficult to describe using text alone.
“The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World,” however, will attract students of all ages as
well as their teachers. Archaeologists, historians, and others with an interest in ancient
history also might visit the site. Now you have a wider audience, a wider age range, and a
wider range of educational levels. It won’t be quite as easy to build a site that will please
them all.
In cases such as this, it might help to narrow your focus a bit. One way is to design your
site for a specific user group, such as the following:
n Elementary school students and their teachers—This site requires a basic navi-
gation system that’s easy to follow. Content should be simple and easy to read.
Bright, colorful images and animations can help keep the attention of young visi-
tors.
n High school students and their teachers—You can use a slightly more advanced
navigation system. Multimedia and the latest in web technology will keep these stu-
dents coming back for more.
n College students and their professors—A higher level of content is necessary,
whereas multimedia may be less important. Properly citing the sources for your
information will be important.