Buttons are a mysterious force. Whether in life, games, or on the internet if you see a button there's at least a little part of you that wants to click it. This is helpful to us web designers, as often we want you clicking our buttons. But how do we maximise the chances of a user clicking a button? Persuasive design of course. However in this showcase I'm not going to be talking about how the page leads you to a call to action such as a button, but more specifically how a button and the immediate surrounding visual elements grab you. What it is about certain buttons or forms of interaction that cause users to drool with anticipation before depressing their left mouse button or affirmatively tapping their trackpad?
Is your Web site primed for every possible viewer? How would you know if it was? The greatest thing about a usable web site that conforms to current web standards is that anyone and everyone is able to use it.
Ensuring your site is easily usable by your key demographic will ensure that everyone gets where they need to be, and sees what they need to see on your site, without unnecessary effort or excessive clicks. Conforming to current web standards ensures that irrelevant of disability or user restrictions (running IE6 counts as both!) means that no ones left out; this is particularly important on sites that appeal to a completely open demographic, a local government website for example.
Aesthetics and usability are not mutually exclusive, and this list proves it.
I'm a designer that firmly believes that usability is integral to any design, but I also feel that aesthetics should never be sidelined for functionality; a careful balance of the two must be adopted, and this, I feel, is what makes a great web designer. I hope this provides some inspiration and encourages usability, especially when designing beautifully sleek front ends that often disregard it completely.
It's important for me to note that when I describe a user friendly web site, I'm not necessarily talking about accessibility; however accessibility is factored into my decisions.