What? Me Angry?
“With a few exceptions, people visit the Web for its utility, not its beauty. Having a visually appealing site is good, of course, but content is golden. After all, when people enter queries into search engines, they don’t type in aesthetic attributes – they’re looking for information.”
Jakob Nielson wrote the above quote in his new book, Prioritizing Web Usability. While I often think that Nielson often goes overboard with his usability “guru-ness,” I couldn’t agree with him more today. I would add a caveat to his statement, however: When a client is scared, nervous, and/or angry, that client may be more critical than ever about Website content. And, just because a site is declared as accessible doesn’t mean that it’s usable. You’ll learn below how this can happen, with a little help from Nielson’s new book and from recent personal experiences. Allow me to explain…
The Problem
On 22 May I heard that the identities of over 26 million U.S. veterans were stolen from a private home in Maryland. I shook my head in disbelief and frustration when I heard the news, because the situation seemed avoidable. I read the news reports because I was more interested in the data security breach than in about who was affected. Then, two days ago (13 June), I received a letter from the Secretary of Veteran Affairs (VA). When I opened the letter (the first I’d ever received from this U.S. federal organization), I was shocked and dismayed. My personal information was included on that stolen database.
Linda Goin carries an A.A. in graphic design, a B.F.A. in visual communications with a minor in business and marketing and an M.A. in American History with a minor in the Reformation. While the latter degree doesn't seem to fit with the first two educational experiences, Linda used her 25-year design expertise on archaeological digs and in the study of material culture. Now she uses her education and experiences in social media experiments.