by © 1999 by Dick Miller

One of my hot buttons relating to web page usability is inappropriate use of graphics. When they are used inappropriately, graphics can convey little useful information, extend download times by increasing page file size, be useless for people with certain visual impairments, and not work for browsers that donít display graphics (by design or by user option).

Furthermore, animated graphics have been shown to reduce site visitorsí success in finding and comparing information.

To reduce usability problems with graphics, use only those graphics that are essential for conveying important information and reduce file size by reducing color depth or choosing a different file format. You should always include alternate text with every graphic. If graphics are used for navigation links, provide alternate methods for navigation. Finally, test the final drafts of the pages with all possible environments (browser, platform, connection speed, etc.).

A site with little or no graphics can still look good. For an example of a cleanly designed site that uses almost no graphics, see Jakob Nielsenís site at www.useit.com. See his explanation for the use of very little graphics at the site at http://www.useit.com/about/nographics.html.

For more information, see the following:

The Non-Designerís Web Book: An Easy Guide to Creating, Designing, and Posting Your Own Web Site, by Williams, Robin & Tollett, John (ISBN 0-201-68859-X).