During this summer I had been working on several projects. My priorities were to re-do and submit the web-design assignment, which was for 1,500 words. I submitted the work in on the 3rd of September. I was waiting for my results to whether it had got me through to the next stage. Unfortunately I handed in the wrong assignment although it was all accurate according to Simon but it was still classed as a fail. Apparently I was supposed to have been sent a new assignment from administration but never received it. I was told to re-do a new assignment. Nether mind I thought the assignment was interesting and inspiring. The topic was to compare two websites in the terms of Accessibility and Usability.
Web Design & interfacing Media
Research and analyse the homepages of http://www.nhs.uk/and http://www.colgate.co.uk. I will compare these two pages in terms of their accessibility and usability and also discuss the merits of each site. There will be a debate for which site, in accessibility terms, is the most compliant.
According to Custom Webhelp LLC. 2007 [online] available at:
http://www.customwebhelp.com/non-technical-website-guidelines.shtml good websites will help people to communicate globally providing it has good functionality and relevant information. [Accessed 22 September 2007].
As pointed by Apis Design, Inc.2007 [online] available at: http://www.apis.ca/Understanding_Websites/Good_Sites_Bad_Sites/What_makes_a_good_website.htm#case [Accessed 22 September 2007] websites should be consistent in their approach for example in the use of colour, font size and style of graphics, credibility, and originality and in content as many forms as possible in order to suit people’s different thinking and learning styles. The layout should be appealing and appropriate with good quality graphics.
It is widely recognised, for example by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) see it right accessible website directory 2007 [online] available at: http://www.rnib.org.uk[Accessed 22 September 2007];also by the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) accessibility guidelines 2006 [online] available at: http://www.drc-gb.org/accessibility.aspx; [Accessed 22 September 2007] and The Dyslexia style guide of the British Dyslexia Association (BDA), [online] available at http://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk. [Accessed 22 September 2007] that a website needs to be accessible and user friendly, enabling people to navigate easily. Designing sympathetically for a wide audience for accessibility is necessary because there are a significant proportion of people using the web who have one kind of disability or another. This includes people with impaired vision.
The National Health Service website is strongly recognised by it’s Logo Identity. They like to keep their identity, as it is very important in influencing how people think and feel about the NHS. Their identity demonstrates how they treat illnesses and promote health. In contrast, the Colgate logo identity is recognised for promoting the organisation and selling their products.
All communications on the NHS website must express their values and principles [online] available at: http://www.nhs.uk/ [Accessed 27 September 2007].
The NHS is extremely efficient with its guidelines, design style and technical standards for its websites. The NHS is widely recognised nationally and communication is important to make sure the site and its content can be easily used and understood by a multiple audience. The NHS likes to keep their values; efficiency, professionalism and be committed to the health service. The care provides the best experience for users and this is reflected on their home page.
The content of the NHS homepage is quite significant in that they provide more personalised services and choices for patients, and other NHS organisations.
It maintains high standards of design and unique content for services rather than duplicating information provided elsewhere. For example these qualities are evident when the user is finding out about different illnesses. The level of detail is high and the range of information is comprehensive.
It is very significant that NHS meets the requirements for clear, concise and understandable content, as it is important to target a wide audience.
Accessibility
Accessibility is a requirement for a professional website that provides National Health Services care and Colgate homepage definitely does not meet this need. They certainly have not considered the partially sighted and other disabilities.
According to Colgate website it does not comply with the guidelines in terms of accessibility, but they are open to “suggestion to improve the usability of the site”.
[Online] available at: http://wwwallhealth-info.com/shared/accessibility.asp [Accessed 8 October 2007].
Alt-tags
Alt-tags are used frequently within the NHS website and is the most important elements of Accessibility to almost all users. It must be clear, descriptive and meaningful. The purpose of the Alt-tags is to assist vision impaired Internet surfers using screen reading software.
In terms of browser compatibility it is very important when considering the potential audience and to consider the visually impaired. Although the design doesn’t have to be identical on every browser, the site must continue to be usable and functional.
It is very obvious with the Colgate website, as it differentiates between one browser to the next in terms of different font sizes and screen sizes. Their homepage doesn’t have the facilities for accessibility, which I am quite surprised at, as it is a big organisation nationwide. It should accommodate people with all disabilities.
The homepage banner of Colgate has inconsistency with the navigation buttons.
When you hover over the navigation buttons horizontally, it brings up the same information on the front page scrolling down vertically.
The colour of text within the navigation doesn’t contrast with the content on the homepage. Every page on a website should have contrast and coordination when designing a layout, which NHS evidently has. The NHS uses appropriate web colours (black, white and blue) and also uses colour to differentiate between different types of information.
Browsealoud is a speech enabling program which allows web content to be more accessible to anyone with difficulties reading. It will also help visitors navigate easily. [Online] available at: http://www.nhs.uk/accessibility/Pages/Accessibility.aspx
[Accessed 8 October 2007].
In terms of accessibility and usability the NHS homepage is clearly technically accessible and usable. The main navigation menu is on the homepage. It displays organisation and consistency throughout the site.
Each page has a route or direct link back to the homepage with the contact details.
The navigation is consistent throughout the site.
The NHS website provides image maps that help visitors to find relevant information quickly.
In comparison with the NHS homepage the Colgate homepage (Colgate website [online] available at: http://www.colgate.co.uk. [Accessed 8 October 2007] is much harder to navigate and inconsistent in terms of its usability. For example, the home link, which is at the bottom of the page, takes you to another page displaying rotating flashing objects and beneath them are more flashing images, which is quite distracting. All that was needed to view this page was a link to take you to an image map and give you information about the product. Comparison to the NHS website gives you adequate information and an image map to find your way around without any complications.
It does not meet accessibility and usability requirements because there is not a link to go back to the homepage, but with difficulty you can just about see that the home page can be re-accessed using the back button. The visually impaired will have great difficulty in accessibility.
The NHS websites consider the needs of people who might find it difficult to use the web, for example the physically impaired or learning disabled, inexperienced, non-English speakers.
Furthermore they work with the Disability Discrimination Act, which you can find [online] available at: http://www.primarycarecontracting.nhs.uk/98.php [Accessed 8 October 2007].
When required the NHS website makes reasonable adjustments to give a wide scope for accessibility to their sites and meets the regulations that is “compliant with the law” in the UK. It is nationally recognised for its specifications and ability to meet the W3C guidelines
Readability is an important factor because if you do not have good content you are unable to read and it needs to be well organised: the key factors we need to be aware of are fonts, images, contrast and colour.
Reference to viewing the NHS websites [online] available at: http://www.nhs.uk/ [Accessed 3 October 2007].
Typefaces
The NHS font, which is identified with their websites, is Ariel/Helvetica. These sans serif fonts are easy to read on screen to help a wide audience.
NHS meets the needs of other spoken languages so they can understand the different typefaces and is usually 12pt, big enough to read easily.
They use appropriate styled text to comply with the WCAG guidelines which can be found
[Online] available at: http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag.php [Accessed 8 October 2007].
In comparison, the Colgate homepage does not display text big enough to enable the viewer to see clearly.
Images and Graphics
Visibility is another important factor on how the homepage is displayed. NHS values
their principles on how images and graphics look because they are powerful in the way they represent their identity. NHS values are demonstrated strongly as colours and typefaces.
They think about the type of image they will use which is relevant to what they are promoting.
The NHS use pictures to show their professionalism and respect in the way they care, certainly they don’t use any images that reinforce stereotypes about people.
It is very noticeable that there is no animation on their site as it would be inaccessible to many users.
They have made sure that all of their images have alt-tags.
Animation has been used quite frequently on the Colgate site in both images and text. From my point of view it not advisable as it is very distracting, confusing
and inaccessible.
Communication
Evidently the NHS strongly uses clear concise communication, which is honest and open. They use language that is appropriate to a wide audience. Many of the users will be patients who may be worried about their health. The language that is used is to show empathy and understanding and helps them to find the part of the site that they want quickly.
Advertising
It is also evident that the NHS does not advertise on their homepage; it is more about promoting a healthy living life style and being dedicated to their patients.
Colgate does advertise when they are promoting their products but it is not so evident on their homepage as it is with the rest of their site.
It would be ideal situation if Colgate used NHS techniques, skills and professionalism in making their site more compliant.
