An Introduction to Web Design

Jonathan Lazar
Contact JLazar@towson.edu for more information

Dr. Jonathan Lazar is a faculty member in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences at Towson University. He is the author of the book "User-Centered Web Development," and regularly presents and publishes papers on the topic of web usability. He is also the 2002 winner of the "Excellence in Teaching" award in the College of Science and Mathematics at Towson University

Companies and organizations are realizing that it's not enough just to place information on the web, but that information must be presented in an easy-to-use manner! In addition, web sites should be designed so that people with disabilities can access the site using assistive technologies. There are measurable differences, in terms of user satisfaction, user performance, and organizational profit, when web sites are easier to use. What are the factors that contribute to a usable web site? This tutorial will cover the topics of user involvement in web development, web navigation and information architecture, user frustration on the web, web accessibility (including Section 508), and methods for improving the usability of a web site.

After completing this tutorial, attendees will be familiar with how to improve the interfaces of their web sites to make them more usable for all user populations. Case studies of organizations that have improved the usability of their web interfaces will be presented. A packet of materials will be provided to attendees, that will help them go back to their organizations and improve the usability of their web sites