Designing Information-Abundant Websites
Abstract
The deluge of web pages has generated dystopian commentaries on the tragedy
of the flood as well as utopian visions of harnessing the same flood for
constructive purposes. Within this ocean of information there are also
lifeboat web pages with design principles, but often the style parallels the
early user interface writings in the 1970s. The well-intentioned Noahs who
write from personal experience as website designers, often draw their wisdom
from specific projects, making their advice incomplete or lacking in
generalizability. Their experience is valuable but the paucity of empirical
data to validate or sharpen insight means that some guidelines are misleading.
As scientific evidence accumulates, foundational cognitive and perceptual
theories will structure the discussion and guide designers in novel situations.
(Also cross-referenced as CAR-TR-824)
(Also cross-referenced as ISR-TR-96-40)