by Teri Robnett
(Published in Brainstorm! July 2005)

I must admit that writing code is not my thing. Nothing irritates me more than finding out that whatever I'm working on doesn't work because I have a semicolon where I should have a comma. However, it's my job to evaluate the complexity of a project before I pass the details onto our programmers.

So what do I look for? Three things: navigation, usability and continuity.

Navigation
Intuitive navigation that allows me to find my way around a web site and find the information I want tells me that a web site is well-thought-out and well-put-together. Someone took the time to think about me, the user, and my experience on the site. I get frustrated when I click on a link thinking I'll find what I want and it takes me somewhere I didn't expect. It's like looking for the kitchen in a house of mirrors. Eventually, I just give up. And pleeeze…don't force me to use my Back Button!

Poor navigation can be an indication of poor programming, although sometimes it's just the result of poor planning. I know, however, that how the navigation is structured - the architecture of the site - can significantly impact our ability to upgrade the web site. Sometimes, in order to make the site do what the client wants, we have to completely restructure the navigation, which can be more difficult and time-consuming than simply starting over.

Usability
When I visit a web site, I expect everything to work. That's not so unreasonable, is it? I expect that underlined words mean links, and that they actually go somewhere when I click on them. I expect the language used for navigation to be relevant and meaningful - something I can understand. I expect shopping carts and forms to work.

I have a lot of family out of state, so I love the convenience of shopping online and having the gift shipped directly to them. Imagine how aggravated I am when I've spent time picking out the perfect gift and I'm ready to plunk down some hard-earned plastic, then can't find my way through the shopping cart system. Or maybe I've found a great site and I want more information. So I go to the form, fill in all the fields, then click the button for "submit" and nothing happens. Sometimes I think, "I could have programmed this better myself," which is pretty bad! And the owners of the sites may never know they lost my business, probably forever.

Consistency and Continuity
The overall look and feel of a web site should be consistent throughout. It increases my comfort level so that I'm willing to stay and look around a bit. The main navigation bar should be on every page, with the same information and in the same place so I don't have to look for it when I want to move through the site. The more complex a site is, the more important continuity is. However, even a small, inexpensive site can look more impressive if it has a high level of continuity.

There is a selection of tools a developer has available to ensure consistency throughout - server-side includes, templates, cascading style sheets, and others. Well-programmed sites utilize these tools to allow the site to flow effortlessly, update easily, and navigate elegantly. Without continuity, your site (and business) can appear choppy and awkward.

If you're looking for someone to take over your existing site, add more functionality, or you want to make sure your web programming is done right the first time, contact us. Whole Brain Technologies: the smarter solution for the web.

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