HHS usability guidelines for Web sites
- By Patricia Daukantas
- Feb 04, 2004
The Health and Human Services Department has produced Web design guidelines suitable for all federal Web sites.
The 128-page guidebook, Research-Based Web Design and Usability Guidelines, is based on extensive studies of user-friendliness and accessibility. HHS' National Cancer Institute originally developed the guidelines to present cancer information to the public.
'An important part of creating a citizen-centered Web site is the use of research on how citizens interact with Web sites,' HHS secretary Tommy G. Thompson noted in a foreword. 'This book, which translates research into practical, easy-to-understand guidelines, helps those in charge of federal Web sites save time and valuable resources.'
The resource has 187 guidelines, each rated on the strength of its supporting evidence and its relative importance to the overall success of a Web site.
To access the guidelines, go to www.gcn.com
and enter 172 in the GCN.com/search box.