addi+ions blog: Insights from the Internet Obsessed

Over time users expect websites to behave a certain way. Clicking the logo will take them to the home page, Navigation will be presented at the top or left, copyright and legal info will be found in the footer. These expectations help users navigate faster since they know what to expect when visiting unfamiliar websites, based on previous experiences on the web.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_expectations
A good rule of thumb or design principle to use in interaction design is to follow the “Principle of least astonishment“. In the case of interactive software applications, for example, users form expectations based on their experience with similar kinds of software.

With more websites taking the leap from static content brochures to interactive services, these same principles apply for website design as well.

Here is a quick usability test.

• I want to find and add people to both my Myspace and Twitter accounts.
• I dont have the direct links to them, I will need to search for their names
• Continue reading