Website designer as an evaluator: A formative evaluation method for website interface development

Abstract

Commerce plays a fundamental part in a lot of websites so that their goals may be different from conventional computer system design e.g. to increase the user base or encourage repeat visits. With limited budgets, website designers are unlikely to involve their users during the design process and not all website designers have access to an evaluator, appropriate testing facilities or evaluation knowledge to support their design. The research develops a low cost, tailorable, formative evaluation method for web designers. The method addressed both HCI and commercial website goals such as the encouragement of repeat visits. This research first investigate the contemporary evaluation method, the users' and designers' needs from websites and website evaluation methods. Finally, the method was developed as a set of guidelines and verified in the evaluation of a website. The potential usefulness, practicality and necessity of the method was then confirmed by website. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.