Sears, Andrew; Jacko, Julia A. (2001).
International Aspects of World Wide Web Usability
and the Role of High-end Graphical Enhancements. International
Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. Vo.12 Issue
2, p241, 21p.
Main Ideas
This article examined both international differences
and the effects of high-end graphical enhancements on
the perceived usability of websites. Subjects were from
the United States and Switzerland. Their goal is to
explore 1 to 2 versions of a web site with the goal
of retrieving specific information from the site. The
first website was a self-contained subset of a large
corporate Web site, and the second was a systematically
simplified version of the first. After retrieving the
required information from the site, participants responded
to questions regarding their perception of the Web sites
usability and its information presentation.
The research showed that there are significant differences
between how U.S. and Swiss users rated the same Web
site. Some high-end graphical enhancements, such as
animations and graphical buttons, may not provide the
benefits anticipated. The simplified site resulted in
equivalent ratings under most circumstances and superior
ratings when Swiss participants evaluated the use of
graphics in a Web site. This research also suggests
that users rate Web sites differently depending on their
country, and that their age and gender also have a significant
impact. The author suggests that usability testing should
be done in each target country to identify the specific
requirements of each user group.
Implications for Instructional Practice
Instructional designers must be careful about usability
when designing WBT for other countries. They may need
to reevaluate whether or not it is worth the additional
time and expense involved in incorporating high-end
graphics. The additional time users must spend downloading
these graphical elements should also be considered.
Gut Reaction & Rating of the Article
I thought this article really explained how different
cultures see web sites differently.
|
