1211.0 - Data Communication - Emerging International Trends and Practices of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 10/02/2006  First Issue
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Contents >> Appendix 1: Applying cognitive psychology to data communicaton >> ABS guidelines for the development of web-based products and services

ABS GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF WEB-BASED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

22 Based on our cognitive psychology research to date, and learning from newspaper web publishing, ABS has formulated the following guidelines (Kraayenbrink, 2004):




1. Structure - Organisation of Content

Guideline 1.1. Grouping of information into meaningful units

  • Group conceptually related items together
  • Limit the number of items per group
  • Limit the "chunks" of information to 5-9, where a chunk is any meaningful unit

Guideline 1.2. Present content so that users can orient themselves and comprehend new information on a page
  • Provide informative page titles at top of each page
  • Use a breadcrumb trail on all pages
  • Include an introduction or introductory section announcing the topic

Guideline 1.3. Use organisational cues to make text visually accessible and easily scannable
  • Provide headings and subordinate headings
  • Provide introductions
  • Provide overview (preview) and topic sentences
  • Provide lists or tables
  • Provide explanatory link labels
  • Provide site map
  • Use dot points
  • Avoid distracting readers with unnecessary cues

Guideline 1.4. Create order within and across grouped content
  • Place known information before new information in sentences, paragraphs or pages
  • Use deductive organisation - i.e. place important information near the top of paragraphs and pages



2. Presentation - Visual appearance of content

Guideline 2.1. Strive for consistency in everything
  • Use the same relative positioning of repeated elements on different screens
  • Use identical physical appearance of repeated elements

Guideline 2.2. Minimise the amount of information per page
  • Provide a balance between positive and negative elements on the screen
  • Draw attention to important elements by surrounding them with greater amounts of white space (e.g. headings)
  • Use white space to differentiate between different groups of information
  • Use short pages instead of long pages in general

Guideline 2.3. Encourage users to perceive the intended relationships between elements on the screen by using Gestalt organisation principles in presenting screen layout (Wertheimer, 1924 cited Chang, Dooley, and Tuovinen, 2002)
  • Proximity : Put related elements close together on the screen. An easily perceivable space between unrelated elements is also important
  • Similarity : Use similar look and feel for related elements (including text and icons), use distinct and easily perceivable differences for unrelated elements.
  • Figure ground : Ensure the figure is easily distinguishable from the background
  • Simplicity : Minimise the amount of information presented on the screen. Avoid complexity
  • Balance/Symmetry : Ensure the visual screen design appears visually balanced
  • Focal Point : Ensure every visual presentation has a focal point, called the centre of interest or point of emphasis. This focal point catches the viewer's attention and persuades the viewer to follow the visual message further
  • Isomorphic Correspondence : Recognise that people perceive and interpret the objects in different ways, based on individual experiences. Design based on common conventions
  • Law of Unity/Harmony : Ensure there is harmony and unity between the visual elements on the screen.

Guideline 2.4. Ensure that objects afford the actions that are intended to be performed on them
  • Follow conventional usage, both in the choice of images and the allowable interactions
  • Follow a coherent conceptual mode. Once part of the interface is learned, the same principles apply to other parts

Guideline 2.5. Use spatial and temporal cues to direct attention
  • Position important elements on the prominent positions of the screen
  • Use colour to draw attention to elements
  • Use alerting techniques (such as animation and sound)

Guideline 2.6. Create colour harmony
  • Avoid excessive use of colour (i.e. colour pollution)
  • Exaggerate lightness differences between foreground and background colours.
  • Use dark colours from the bottom half of the hue circle with light colours from the top half of the hue circle
  • Avoid contrasting hues from adjacent sections from the hue circle, especially if colours do not contrast sharply in lightness

Guideline 2.7. Use typography to maximise readability and legibility
  • Avoid mixing of font styles (i.e. No more than two font faces; no more than two font colour and no more than three font sizes - regular, large and small)
  • Use a suitable font size (preferably 12 point)
  • Use sans serif fonts such as Arial, Helvetica or Verdana
  • Use sufficient line, letter and paragraph spacing
  • Follow common conventions (e.g. standard link colours for visited and unvisited links
  • Provide sufficient contrast between text and background colours.



3. Content - Selection of content

Guideline 3.1. Select content that is relevant to the audience
  • Choose information of interest to audience
  • Avoid unnecessary provision of information
  • Provide layers of information (from simple to complex) to suit audience types

Guideline 3.2. Use words that can be easily understood by the target audience
  • Use concrete and meaningful words
  • Use words that frequently appear in language
  • Use short words (with fewer syllables)
  • Use link labels that clearly explain the linked content
  • Avoid jargon. When acronyms or abbreviations have been used, explain in the first instance and/or link to a ’glossary of terms’ page

Guideline 3.3. Use syntactical structure (structure of sentences) that can be easily understood by the target audience
  • Avoid links embedded within sentences
  • Avoid ambiguities in language

Guideline 3.4. State ideas concisely
  • Use concise wording
  • Use short sentences
  • Reduce proportional complexity within sentences (i.e. decrease the number of ideas conveyed within sentences)
  • Omit unnecessary information





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