Web Site Evaluation
In the process of looking through business Web sites, I came across a number of good solid pages that meet design requirements and are widely accessible to a number of different audiences. Many have pages that are current and adhere to design principles closely.
However, in contrast to these I also stumbled upon a few sites which do not meet universal standards. The site I would like to focus on in this assignment is www.bedbathandbeyond.com.
Design
I came across this site which incorporates tables to accomplish some of its design objectives. This is a problem because tables are often inaccessible to screen readers and assistive technology. They may be difficult for users with limitations to access.
One solution for this is to switch out tables and replace them with div tags. Divs are generally more user-friendly than tables and should allow users to access information more readily.
Code and Validity
Looking at code validity, there are a few internal errors and warnings within this site. When I checked into it, the homepage itself had 4 errors and 272 warnings; too many for a professional site to have. These errors could be fixed by simply going in and adjusting the code in the necessary places.
CSS Implementation
The site appears to be using CSS pretty effectively. They have incorporated a number of external stylesheets which allow for easy update and maintenance. However, they do not seem to have used headings at all within in the site, which could improve the site’s structure and readability. I would suggest that headings be used to make the site more readable and user-friendly.
Usability
In my opinion, this site feels a quite busy and difficult to follow. The navigation is fairly complex, and it seems to throw a lot of information at you on the home page. Just looking at it feels cluttered and over-crowded with information.
Home pages are intended to be welcoming and informational, and I don’t feel that this has been accomplished with the site’s current design. There is definitely room for improvement here. I think if the home page were cleaned up a bit, it would be easier for users to find exactly what they are looking for in a more efficient manner.
Again, this can be accomplished by the use of divs instead of tables for design. Tables are very limiting and are not an effective method for layout. In addition, I think use of more white-space could make users feel welcome on the home page. The simple act of removing or replacing unnecessary information could do wonders for this site.
Accessibility
The site does use alternative text for most of the images used. They have clearly labeled the attributes, dimensions and paths for each image, which makes a big difference for users who are unable to access or load images.
One potential problem I see with this site’s accessibility is that it is highly dependent on images to sell the company’s products. Users who are reliant on assistive technology may not have the same type of visual impact other users have on this site.
I would suggest providing an additional text based version of the page, which includes more in-depth descriptions of the products and services available for users who are unable to interpret or access images of the products.
Construction and Adherence to Standards
Overall, I feel this page is a good start. It is loaded with information about the company and its services. It appears to have an understanding of CSS and implements alternative options for users with limitations. Its construction could use some work in order to meet the necessary requirements, but overall the page is fairly usable and effective.
