Design Guidelines for the Web
This page lists a set of guidelines for webdesign and intranet design. The guidelines have been compiled from various sources including manufacturers, consultants and standardisation organisations.
General Guidelines for Web Design
- Homepage Usability
113 recommendations for designing all kinds ob websites. Jakob Nielsen, Marie Tahir 2001.
- Web Style Guide
Basic design principles for creating websites, 2nd Edition". Comprehensive guidance for web interface design including page structure, typography, content design, applying graphics or multimedia. This book is also available as a HTML-version online, P.J. Lynch and Sarah Horton, 2002.
- Site map usability
28 recommendations for the design of sitemaps, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
- Locator usability
21 Design Guidelines for Store Finders and Locators on Corporate Websites, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
- Flash Usability
117 recommendations for designing web-based applications using Flash, Nielsen Norman Group 2002.
- PR sections of corporate sites
75 recommendations for designing websites to maximize press relations, such as PR sections and the exact information journalists are looking for, Nielsen Norman Group 2003.
- Email newsletters
79 recommendations for designing email newsletters including subscription, newsletter content and account maintenance based on usability studies, English, Nielsen Norman Group 2002.
- Email newsletters
73 recommendations for Automated Messages from Websites to Customers, Nielsen Norman Group 2004.
- Celebrating Holidays and Special Occasions on Websites
18 recommendations for designing special occasions on Websites, Nielsen Norman Group 2002.
- ISO 9241-151 (formerly numbered ISO/CD 23973)
Ergonomics of human-system interaction - Software ergonomics for World Wide Web user interfaces.
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E-commerce / Online shops
- E-commerce user experience
207 recommendations for designing e-commerce sites (9 separate reports), English, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
- Category pages
28 recommendations for how to organize a site's offerings on category pages, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
- Product pages
30 recommendations for how to design suitable information about products on product pages, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
- Shopping cards, Checkout & Registration
32 recommendations for shopping carts, checkout and registration of customers on e-commerce sites, English, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
- Search
29 recommendations for designing search engine interfaces that enable customers to find the products they want, English, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
- Selling strategies
47 recommendations for selling strategies, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
- Trust and credibility
34 recommendations for how to enhance trust in e-commerce sites, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
- International users
19 recommendations that help to ensure that a website can be used by customers in an International market, English, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
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Guidelines für Intranet-Design
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Accessibility
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0
The official accessibility guidelines of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). These guidelines explain how to make the content of the web accessible for people with special needs. Designers of websites as well as developers of tools for creating the content of websites are addressed, The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), 1999.
- ISO 9241-171: Ergonomics of human-system interaction -Part 171: Guidance on software accessibility
Accessibility guidelines of the International Standards Organization (ISO). Comprehensive and recognized guidance for developers of software, International Organization for Standardization, 2008.
- HTML 4.01 Specification
This is not a GUI-Style Guide, but a programming guideline supplied by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) including the official code specification for implementing websites with the aid of HTML 4.01. Adhering to HTML 4.01ensures that the source code of a website enables any kind of browser for effective presentation the website to the user, English, The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), 1999.
- Flash Accessibility
21 recommendations for creating websites in Flash so that websites are accessible to people with special needs, Nielsen Norman Group 2002.
- Users with disabilities
75 recommendations for creating websites that are accessible to people with special needs, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
- Senior citizens
46 recommendations for creating websites that can easily be used by senior users, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
- Children
70 recommendations for creating websites that are especially designed for children, English, Nielsen Norman Group 2001.
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WAP (Wireless Application Protocol)
WAP usability report
Users were given a WAP telephone that provided mobile access to the Internet. They were given tasks to perform in laboratory usability studies before and after being allowed to use the phones on their own. They were also interviewed about their experience using WAP in the field. - WAP is not ready for prime time yet, nor do users expect it to be usable any time soon. This finding came after respondents had used WAP services for a full week, so their conclusions are significantly more valid than answers from focus group participants who are simply asked to speculate about whether they would like WAP. - The report details the many usability problems that caused users to come to this negative conclusion.
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