Designing a website

Interview either (i) a person you know over 65 or (ii) a child you know under 16 about their experience, attitude and expectations of computers. What factors would you take into account if you were designing a website aimed at this person?

1. Take your university website or another site of your choice and assess it for accessibility using Bobby. How would you recommend improving the site?

2. How could systems be made more accessible to older users?

1. What are (i) auditory icons and (ii) earcons? How can they be used to benefit both visually impaired and sighted users?

2. Research your country’s legislation relating to accessibility of technology for disabled people. What are the implications of this to your future career in computing?

Find a computer application that you have never used before. Attempt to learn to use it using only the online support.

Is there enough information to allow you to use the application effectively?

Is the information easy to find? What improvements (if any) would you suggest?

Write a manual page for making a cup of coffee. Assume your user has no experience but will recognize a cup, a kettle, a spoon, etc. Swap your manual with a partner.

Does your partner’s manual give you sufficient instruction to make the cup of coffee?

Discuss improvements with your partner and agree on a final version of the manual.

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