Forms and Applications

Web DesignProfessor Frank

Interactive Technologies

• Dynamic interactions• Prompt feedback• Feedback in context

Interactive Transactions

Technologies

• Add-on technologies – Flash, JavaScript• Not as widely supported as HTML

Ajax

• Ajax = Asynchronous JavaScript and xml• Relies on JavaScript• Content is hidden from search engines

Ajax and Accessibility

• Screen readers can’t always “read” dynamic content

• Keyboard users might not recognize interface widgets

• PDAs/cell phones – Not enough horsepower to run technologies

New Accessibility Standards?

• ARIA – Accessible Rich Internet Applications• Accessible Flash – in future

Designing Web Applications

• Restraint • Simplicity

Design Patterns

• Recognizable patterns for interaction (ie drop-down menus)

• Proven effective• Widely adopted

Design Patterns

Menus

• Collect data in standard format• Select/drop-down• Radio buttons• Checkboxes

Input Fields/Text Areas

• Good for open-ended responses

Guiding Interaction

• Walk users through fields using instructions, labels, prompts, and design patterns, explaining what is expected and how the page works

Field Labels

• Explain information being requested• <label for> tag associates a label with its

element using the “id” attribute

Help and Instructions

Default Text

Provide Users Feedback