Remember the User

19 January 2009 by Ildar Samit.

Summary:

Understand those who will be using your website. Know what they are looking for, what they expect, how much time they have. Know as much as you can about the user, because the user is your potential customer. Then, base all design decisions (things like I want a green background and a bigger logo) on how the user will react.

Full Essay:

New technologies are allowing us to build websites more efficiently than ever before. As a result, many businesses are tempted to spend as little as possible on this important link with their customers. They often end up with a website that either does not have the information people are looking for or it is difficult to find. Neither does it appear in search listings. But the owner is surprisingly proud of it! In other words, the design is not based on the users' needs, but on making the owner happy.

A good website is then one that pleases both the owner and the users. Ideally, the owner is pleased when the user is pleased. To ensure your website meets the users’ expectations, answer some questions similar to these:

We often provide new clients with a project worksheet with similar questions. You can download it here:

Website Planner (Word Document)

In any design, whether it is for a website or a space shuttle, it is important to look at the problem from the eyes of its future users. For example (in reality, be as detailed as you possibly can):

Meet Steve, a 21 year old male looking for a job:

I need a company that is family owned, forward thinking and just cool to work for. My first step is to check the websites of as many medium-size businesses as I can, and from there I will pick 10 that I will actually visit and talk to. The website needs to have information about the company and what kind of people they are looking for; good looking site is a huge plus.

Meet Jonathan, a 54 year old seasoned businessman:

I am a wholesaler of electronics and I constantly search for promising shops to work with. Since I cannot physically go to every town in the country, I use the Internet as a starting point for my search. I go to Google, the Yellow Pages (online version of it because it lets me change cities), and other similar websites. I open the website of every company I find. Then I pick up the phone and call those that look most promising.

Finally, let’s meet some customers:

I am Ann, and I want to buy an expensive tie for my husband. I go to Google Maps and type in “men's clothing near 1280 main st. west hamilton ontario.” I make a list of the stores I like, and visit them in person.
I am Sanga, and I am looking to buy a winter coat. I am visually impaired, so I use a program called JAWS that reads the text out loud. Therefore, the website needs to have been designed with accessibility in mind. (Yes, there are plenty of blind people browsing the web, including one of author's friends.)
I am Christopher, and I am from Brazil. I am looking for a good dentist. I will make my selection based on customer reviews, so either the company website or some other sites must have them. My Englesh isn’t very good, so it is important the website uses simple words.

Once you understand who your users are and what they think, you will be in a position to make knowledgeable design decisions yourself. You will be able to leave the emotion-based decisions and move towards more rational, purpose-driven ones. Although this is by no means a substitute for hiring a good designer or allocating a proper budget, it will guide you in the right direction. It will also allow you to have a more meaningful communication with the designer.

Thank you very much for your time. Have a delightful day.

Yours,
Ildar
ildar [at] samitwebsites [dot] com