Tag Archives: users
Designing Accessible Websites – The Growing Importance and Needs
An accessible website is one that can be reached and used by all users, irrespective of any physical disability they might have or the manner in which they use the internet. This is a sufficiently important condition which has become a legal requirement for certain websites in many countries, especially the U.S., and typically government sites.
An accessible website has business significance because current figures indicate that disabled users constitute between 10% and 20% of the population of most countries. These numbers do not include those who are marginally challenged to whom an accessible website would provide a more rewarding internet experience. Another consideration is the average age of users which is steadily increasing in most countries. With advancing years a number of issues arise such as changes in vision and hearing and a steady decline in dexterity and memory. All told the number of internet users who would benefit from more accessible websites would stand at around 30% of the population, a figure that no business can afford to ignore. Let us consider some of the more common issues involved.
Visually Disabled Users
Visually disabled could range from color blind to completely blind. Partially blind users have difficulty in grasping images which do not carry a text description of what they contain. A visually impaired user who is unable to see the image cannot comprehend what it is, or what it is trying to convey. Color blind users are sometimes unable to distinguish design elements, as well as text, from the surrounding elements which might include background or page color, since the two colors may not contrast sufficiently. Problems could also arise with sites not designed to enable viewing through a screen reader, which is a web browser that reads text aloud from websites. Frequently an attractive website can be quite indistinct when heard through a screen reader.
Hearing impairments
An accessible website has to accommodate users with impaired hearing. Hearing impaired users are unable to grasp information and data which is audio communicated. A simple solution is to provide an image or text description in addition, as a backup.
Physical disabilities
It is difficult to a person not physically disabled to understand how a website can be accessed without using a mouse. The needs of such disabled users should be addressed with website input and navigation methods which make the site accessible and user friendly.
Cognitive and Neurological Disabilities
An overly complex design makes a website confusing to most normal users, much more those with cognitive and neurological disorders. Such sites are completely beyond the comprehension of such users. Simplicity is the key to an effective website, more so if it is to be accessible to the broadest possible spectrum of users including those with cognitive and neurological disorders.
Several groups worldwide are focused on highlighting accessibility issues. They provide help and guidance to those who want to design accessible websites. One concerned group is the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which has published guidelines and standards for accessible websites.
Five Lessons App Developers Should Learn
With thousands of apps emerging everyday in the App Store, Android Marketplace and many other Smartphone markets, an app developer certainly need to be an expert and should learn many significant things to outshine in this tough competitive market. Every day users expect something different and app developers are obliged to quench the thirst of the users who are in search of totally distinctive and potent apps. While numerous factors like interactivity, ease of use, purpose of the app, user experience, simplicity, consistency, market trend etc, have a race with each other when it comes to creating a triumphant app, what are the most momentous lessons should an app developer learn to create an outstanding app? Let us explore.
1) Out-of-the-box thinking: This is the most important lesson that every dexterous app developer must learn. No one would like if you serve the same food on the table every day. Change is the only thing that keeps human beings active and refreshed. You can distinguish your app from your competitors apps in the market by the outstanding and unique features in yours. First, the app developer should learn about trusting his own app. Only when he trusts that his app will serve the purpose and win across platforms, he can do the magic that is required. Apps that win incomparably always have something innovative in them and that is the real skill of an app developer transformed to his toiled app.
2) Reliability and evenness: Everyone in this world has a unique identity and all of us strive to register such an identity in the minds of our target group. Prolific app developers must learn about reliability and evenness. This does not insist that all your apps must look alike or should have the same features. Instead it states that it should have something unique and special in each and every app that you release. Your users should feel the essence when they start using the app and feel proud of using it. Reliability, constancy, evenness, consistency and trust are the most crucial factors behind creating and maintaining loyal customers. This counts higher and is the purpose behind every business.
3) Simplicity leads: Simplicity is the quickest tool to reach hearts and you can impress anyone with the simple tactics used in your apps. An app is not a thesis paper where you need to unearth all your knowledge with the use of complicated choices, enormous features and commands. An app is mainly used to lighten an intricate task and conquer it easily. This is why you should always go by the KISS (Keep It Simple Smart). You need to prove that your app is simple and easy to use. It is highly necessary that your app wins the users hearts in the first 20 seconds of their time, instilling the first best impression in them. Simplicity is vital and this is the sole reason behind the success of concepts like minimalism.
4) Importance of purpose the behind the app: Every user invests his priceless time in your app and he cannot simply use your app that does not have any rationale in it. Whether it is a Smartphone app or app for your tablets everything should serve a purpose and have a strong substantiating reason behind using it. Your app should be focused on fulfilling its objectives either by solving a particular problem or by serving a particular target group. Apps without an underlying principle cannot withstand the heat of the mobile market and would bounce back in the same pace it was released.
5) Value of users: Time is highly crucial in this monetary world and every minute counts. You cannot simply think that it would take only 10 minutes of the users time to understand the working and functionality of your app. Users and their preference are highly essential as they solely contribute to the success or failure of your app. If you fail to grab the attention of your users for the first time, it gradually becomes difficult for the subsequent times as well. Users are the lifeline of every business and your apps should never fail in satisfying their emotional and visual quotient. User centric and apps that are focused on the needs and preferences of your target users can only win the tough app competition among the millions of apps striving hard in the app warfront. If the user is happy with your app functionality, usage, features and uniqueness of your app hell never leave it and would spread it extremely with his friends and peer group.
Apart from these things, an app developer should also learn on creating secured, interactive, scalable and winning apps that understands the client base and fits the needs perfectly.
Five Lessons App Developers Should Learn
With thousands of apps emerging everyday in the App Store, Android Marketplace and many other Smartphone markets, an app developer certainly need to be an expert and should learn many significant things to outshine in this tough competitive market. Every day users expect something different and app developers are obliged to quench the thirst of the users who are in search of totally distinctive and potent apps. While numerous factors like interactivity, ease of use, purpose of the app, user experience, simplicity, consistency, market trend etc, have a race with each other when it comes to creating a triumphant app, what are the most momentous lessons should an app developer learn to create an outstanding app? Let us explore.
1) Out-of-the-box thinking: This is the most important lesson that every dexterous app developer must learn. No one would like if you serve the same food on the table every day. Change is the only thing that keeps human beings active and refreshed. You can distinguish your app from your competitors apps in the market by the outstanding and unique features in yours. First, the app developer should learn about trusting his own app. Only when he trusts that his app will serve the purpose and win across platforms, he can do the magic that is required. Apps that win incomparably always have something innovative in them and that is the real skill of an app developer transformed to his toiled app.
2) Reliability and evenness: Everyone in this world has a unique identity and all of us strive to register such an identity in the minds of our target group. Prolific app developers must learn about reliability and evenness. This does not insist that all your apps must look alike or should have the same features. Instead it states that it should have something unique and special in each and every app that you release. Your users should feel the essence when they start using the app and feel proud of using it. Reliability, constancy, evenness, consistency and trust are the most crucial factors behind creating and maintaining loyal customers. This counts higher and is the purpose behind every business.
3) Simplicity leads: Simplicity is the quickest tool to reach hearts and you can impress anyone with the simple tactics used in your apps. An app is not a thesis paper where you need to unearth all your knowledge with the use of complicated choices, enormous features and commands. An app is mainly used to lighten an intricate task and conquer it easily. This is why you should always go by the KISS (Keep It Simple Smart). You need to prove that your app is simple and easy to use. It is highly necessary that your app wins the users hearts in the first 20 seconds of their time, instilling the first best impression in them. Simplicity is vital and this is the sole reason behind the success of concepts like minimalism.
4) Importance of purpose the behind the app: Every user invests his priceless time in your app and he cannot simply use your app that does not have any rationale in it. Whether it is a Smartphone app or app for your tablets everything should serve a purpose and have a strong substantiating reason behind using it. Your app should be focused on fulfilling its objectives either by solving a particular problem or by serving a particular target group. Apps without an underlying principle cannot withstand the heat of the mobile market and would bounce back in the same pace it was released.
5) Value of users: Time is highly crucial in this monetary world and every minute counts. You cannot simply think that it would take only 10 minutes of the users time to understand the working and functionality of your app. Users and their preference are highly essential as they solely contribute to the success or failure of your app. If you fail to grab the attention of your users for the first time, it gradually becomes difficult for the subsequent times as well. Users are the lifeline of every business and your apps should never fail in satisfying their emotional and visual quotient. User centric and apps that are focused on the needs and preferences of your target users can only win the tough app competition among the millions of apps striving hard in the app warfront. If the user is happy with your app functionality, usage, features and uniqueness of your app hell never leave it and would spread it extremely with his friends and peer group.
Apart from these things, an app developer should also learn on creating secured, interactive, scalable and winning apps that understands the client base and fits the needs perfectly.