Quick summary: Lack of attention to visual standards usually leads to poor usability. In the first part of this two-part article we’ll look at the reasons visual standards are important, the hidden costs of ignoring them, and the reasons standards are often weak. In part two we’ll delve into ways to address these problems.
There’s often a strong correlation between the overall usability of an application or website and the degree to which it adheres to a set of visual standards.
Let’s start by defining the term. By “visual standards” I’m referring to placement and appearance of navigation, links, graphics and text. Visual standards can also relate to the sequence and flow of information within a display.
There are many other standards that affect usability such as copy writing and error messaging, but I’ll get to those in other articles.
In the design world visual standards are most often associated with appearance and placement of branding elements such as logos, type, and the use of color and layout. These elements certainly relate to usability but they’re a different aspect of what I’m addressing here.
Why visual standards affect usability… and your bottom line
Let’s look at the impact of visual standards on usability and user experience. Creating consistency in the appearance and placement of images, type, graphics, links and other important elements enables users to:
- Learn and understand displays and processes faster and more efficiently.
- Find information and navigation without the need to re-learn or “hunt” for similar links and information across multiple screens.
- Quickly determine what’s important (and what’s not) within a display – making it easier to focus on the links and information most critical to the task at hand.
These attributes have a strong impact on ease of use, and often affect conversion and abandonment rates.
They also impact brand consistency and the reinforcement of brand attributes.
Unfortunately companies sometimes overlook the degree to which visual standards affect the efficiency and cost of development, training and support. A lack of strong visual standards usually goes hand-in-hand with steeper learning curves and greater reliance upon training and support. That can be very expensive!
Ultimately poor standards lead to a lower degree of user acceptance, lower levels of user satisfaction and higher implementation and support costs. They also increase the likelihood that the website or application will require costly re-work after initial release.
Why visual standards fail
If visual standards are this important then why doesn’t everyone get them right the first time?
There are many reasons, but just a handful of common themes. Do any of these sound familiar?
Standards are never created. When a product or website is in the planning or architecture stage, strong visual standards sometimes end up on the “nice to have” list rather than the “essential for launch” list. Or they’re included as a requirement but abandoned as production deadlines loom.
Standards are created but weak. In some cases visual standards are defined in a manner inadequate to the project – for example, too general or lacking concrete examples. Or standards may be specific but have significant gaps. This can force team members to guess about look and placement of information and navigation.
Standards are created but not enforced or updated. Sometimes visual standards are defined for the first release of a product or website, but the team strays from them over time. This can happen for any of several reasons:
- No one is given the responsibility to review and enforce adherence to the standards.
- When new members join the team they may not be aware of the standards or may not take them seriously.
- A shifting business landscape necessitates changes and the standards are again given “nice to have” status.
- The product changes but the standards aren’t revisited. Thus the visual standards no longer reflect the needs and realities of the product.
There are conflicting standards. Visual standards often suffer when there are multiple teams operating independently of one another. Sometimes language barriers complicate project communication. A lack of communication between teams on the same product can cause multiple standards to emerge – especially if the project and product management isn’t centralized.
Sounds like a recipe for trouble doesn’t it?
It is, but there are a number of steps you can take to avoid these problems or resolve them if you’ve already got them.
In part two of this article we’ll examine methods and considerations for creating visual standards. We’ll also look at ways to ensure they’re applied in a way that will support user goals and improve usability.
Photo by charlottel. Creative Commons licensed.
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