[thelist] differences in alt vs. title attributes and <h#> tags

javier velasco lists at mantruc.com
Mon Jan 28 16:05:59 CST 2002


Bob Boisvert wrote:

> I've heard the argument about underlined text being considered a link. I'm
> not sure that I personally agree with that. I say that because being an
> experienced user of the web, I have learned not to expect all things
> underlined to be a link especially when many sites are using
> text-decoration: none; then the text color acts as an indicator that there
> is a link.

All those sites using non-underlined text are running against standards.
No matter how relatively experienced we are with this medium, it's still
a new medium, this makes it even more important to stick to the VERY few
standards we can have in web design.

Some web developers like doing new tricks (like erasing link underlines)
just because they can. This goes against all the hard development the
scientists made untill they arrived the solution of underlining links to
make them easier to read, same goes for link colors.

Old media have well defined standards, web design has very few, the more
we stick to them, the easier it will be for our audience to get
familiarized with our sites. It's important to remember that your are
designing for your visitors, not for yourself, and if as soon as someone
enters a site and his site gets full of questionmarks (are these big
black underlined tiltes links or not?) they just leave, it's easy as one
click to go away.

<tip type="usability" author="mantruc">

Rule Nº1 of usabilitry is "Don't make me think"

When you sit in front of a page that isn't clear, you start asking
youself questions (is the navigation this, or this other thing) the user
experience is bad, and you're likely to leave the site for other that
you feel more comfortable with.

When reviewing your designs invite other people to see if everything is
obvious: what the title is, where the navigation is, where to start,
what your options are.

Read more on Steve Krug's wonderful book "Don't Make me Think, a common
sense apporach to web usability", this book indeed explains stuff from a
common sense point of veiw, it's fantastic for people who are unfamiliar
with the topic (newbies, clients, managers)

http://www.stevekrug.com/
</tip>

hope this helps


--
Javier Velasco
Work - http://www.nurun.cl
Me - http://mantruc.com
Family - http://evolt.org



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