Yes we all understand about Accessibility. Yes we all know that it’s as important as web standards.
But have we taken the time to look over the WCAG2 guidelines and all the supplementary information that is available on that site in detail.
This is especially relevant at the moment for State and Federal Government agencies with the implementation of the Web Accessibility National transition Strategy in full swing.
I know the W3C site in itself can be a little overwhelming in the depth of information, and for the busy web professional what is really needed is just the core information you need to get the job done.
User Journeys are yet another tool that fits within the User Experience design space.
They represent the mapping of a customers experience on a series of levels, from the emotional view, to technology use, issues, interfaces and services encountered; be that of varying products from any source.
It’s can be basically a timeline, if you like, from the birth of an idea (“I need a…”) to the end of life of the purchase or service (“this is not working..”).
Now this may sound all encompassing, and you may say “hey we already know about our product life cycles”, and that is fine.
Last year a Director from the AGIMO declared at Web Directions South that Western Australia was one of the poster children for state government based implementation of WCAG2 compliance in relation to the National Transition Strategy (NTS).
On the the 30th June 2011, last week, the WA government has announced publically the date by which the entire WA government, public facing websites, intranets and extranets must be at least WCAG2 level A compliant.
This date is 31st December 2013.
The web is an amazing place, it never stays static, not even for a minute.
Just when you thought you had a handle on it. The web rises up and slaps you with a cold kipper to wake you up.
As you are all coming to terms with social media on the web for better or worse – things are changing.
A while back I wrote about social media and taking baby steps into it, a mantra that still holds today. I also mused about the 10 Rules for Small Business and Social Networks over on my blog.
Well it’s been a few years since then, the landscape has changed.
Customer research is very important, you really need to know your customers needs and what they are thinking. However if the research isn’t correctly executed it can have a negative effect.
Even the big guys can make this mistake. Last week Walmart confessed to it’s massive $1.85 billon dollar customer experience mistake.
Basically Walmart, despite it’s size and expertise seems to have forgotten one of the basic premises of customer experience or service design
It’s interesting that people like Gerry Harvey are being dragged kicking and screaming into the twentieth century (yes correct last century), and have now announced they as a “pace-setter” are moving onto the web.
Clearly Gerry Harvey is very new to the web world, this is classic case of a business failing to innovate.
Failing to innovate will result in the failure of your business at some point in time.
From a small business to the larger enterprise, testing the waters with social media is the latest trend. Some would say it’s the great saviour for the online business community.
However venturing out into the world of social media isn’t as simple as setting up a facebook fan page, opening a twitter account or just dropping some social sharing widget onto your website. Things can go sour very quickly if you don’t do it right, after all no one wants to have that facebook fan page with only 10 fans.
You really have to consider your customers and what are they thinking about social media before you begin.
When you are thinking about reworking your existing web site I bet you find yourself thinking about the new features you could have on your site. Now these features may look really sexy and give the impression that you are up with the latest trends.
However the reality you have to ask yourself is, are these features going to help my customer, are they really going to help the business.
Managing a website can be hard at the best of times, there is the technology itself – that is forever changing. Then there is the new kid on the block social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and like.
On top of all this is there is the constant reminder that your content has to be just right for your customers and Google (for all that SEO goodness). And then you have to ensure that your site is usable for your potential customers as well. It’s a lot to take on.
You may not have known, but in Australia it is an offence for certain industries and providers not to have accessible websites under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
Now this may sound a little strange, but the reality of any web site is that the visitor (and potential customer) has to be in control of the entire process.
If they aren’t in control, then they are going to feel like they are being rail-roaded, forced to make a decision, and have that horrible out of control feeling. We have all had it. The feeling of being not in control, when things are being dictated to us. We all know that it’s not pleasant. We hate it personally, and will avoid it.
The same concept applies to a web site.
If you went to buy a consumer good a few years ago, depending on the urgency, you would leverage your contacts to get the best advice. Maybe you would start with a chat with friends over a coffee, discussing what they use.
However that has changed. Take this point in case. We need to purchase a consumer good on the weekend.
I think I know my customers very well. Some I have had business relationships with for the last 15 years. Do I think I know their customers well. Would I honestly try and second guess them. No, not really.
It’s not that I don’t have the experience, design skills, or the details of what they tend to be like.
In the old media industry (print) all you really had to do was get the design right. Follow the rules and your design would sing.
However the web is not print – bet you have heard that before. Designing a web site is more than just a perfect visual design. A design that follows all the principles of good design.
Earlier in the week a series of warnings about the web browser Internet Explorer was issued by several governments, including the Australian federal government. This issue isn’t a hoax, it’s a genuine concern.
That big “e” application that you use to access the web has a number of security flaws that are starting to be widely exploited. This means when you use an Internet Explorer browser you are in real danger of having your secure information compromised. So maybe this is a good time to stop using Internet Explorer and consider the alternatives.
Web strategies are one of those misunderstood beasts of the web business world. Something you should consider if you are serious about your web site. Yes, I can hear you going, “why do I need this waste of time, worthless document”. That’s what I used to think too. However I believe you will see things differently, web site strategies are about saving money.
It’s interesting that people still consider that the design and development of a website should be treated like a software development project. Most websites you see are information based by nature, they are not software.
The same approaches that are used to build a word processer or a specialised CRM (Customer Relationship Management) should not be used for a website. Look at it from the core view of what they are used for. Your desktop software is used as a tool to acheive a task. When your website is centered around information – be that the delivery of information as a public service or to sell your products, it s still information at it’s core.
On last Tuesday (15th Dec) the Australian government elected to move forward and implement a filter on the Internet.
We are very concerned about this. For the first time 15 years the very nature of the freedom of the Internet is being threatened.
You will hear in the press and from the government that this is mainly to protect the Australian people from the evils of the Internet.
Just think about that for a minute, we have not had any protection for the last 15 years that the Internet has been in commercial operation. Why do we need it now?
Today the 3rd of December is International Day of People with Disability. This is to celebrate the worldwide recognition of the achievements and contributions of people with disabilities.
I know there was big breakfast at Burswood today celebrating this day. However beyond the breakfasts, picnics and the like, what are you really doing for people with disabilities.
It’s interesting to look on how professional web designers and developers have worked on the web in the past, and the way they work now; as I did in my presentation at the Edge of the Web conference in Perth.
On the web we have moved from a very inflexible approach, that was seemingly dictated by the old school ways of the information industry at the time to the flexible business and customer focus of an agile rapid development methodology.
Today 12th November 2009 is World Usability Day. The theme for this year is designing for a sustainable world. Something we often don’t think about with web design.
“So what”, I hear you say. “What does usability and sustainability have to do with me?” Often in our efforts to make things more usable we end up with a finished product that is not sustainable. One that just ends up contributing to our increasingly throwaway society. It’s about designing so we don’t use resources that are not renewable.
Social Media Changes
The web is an amazing place, it never stays static, not even for a minute.
Just when you thought you had a handle on it. The web rises up and slaps you with a cold kipper to wake you up.
As you are all coming to terms with social media on the web for better or worse – things are changing.
A while back I wrote about social media and taking baby steps into it, a mantra that still holds today. I also mused about the 10 Rules for Small Business and Social Networks over on my blog.
Well it’s been a few years since then, the landscape has changed.