User Expectations

Web designers need some awareness of users' expectations

Some expectations derive from standards - users expect standard objects to behave in standard ways.

Others are more subtle, for example:

• Users expect links to take them somewhere
  • So in a navigation bar, the current page should never be a live link
  • Anything that opens up a new window should be clearly labelled as such
  • Buttons or links that do things rather than go places should be clearly identifiable

• Other expectations derive from the content:
  • Make sure your link text is accurate
    • Keep link text updated as pages change
    • Make sure it means what you think it means, and is not misleading
    • Make link text and headings match - so that it's clear that you have arrived where you wanted to be
  • Make sure content is where users reasonably expect it to be
  • Make sure your categorization is predictable and unsurprising

• How do you spot places where you have violated expectations?
  • Get someone else to check it!
  • Look over their shoulder and see how they react to your page, how they use it.

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