Making it as easy for the user as possible.

How do I design my Web site's interface so people can use it effectively?

• Alertbox - Jakob Nielsen's Column on Web Usability ~ Love him or hate him, Jakob Nielsen is one of the major figures discussing usability today. Alertbox is a column he publishes on various usability issues, and his site collects all his Alertbox articles. Required reading, even if you disagree. 
• Report From a 1994 Web Usability Study ~ An analysis by Jakob Nielsen from 1994. It's old, but it's still relevant, even today. It's also neat because it has screen shots of famous Web sites, back when the graphical Web was just beginning, including IBM, HP, Sun, & Microsoft. (You won't believe Microsoft's home page in 1994!)
• User Interface Engineering - Articles and Other Resources ~ Several very good articles on issues of "user interface design, usability, testing, and documentation". Well worth your time.
• Information Architecture Tutorial ~ From the fine folks at Webmonkey.
• Usable Web ~ The site describes itself thusly: "a collection of links about information architecture, human factors, user interface issues, and usable design specific to the World Wide Web". There's a lot of super stuff here. Check it out! 
• Interface Hall of Shame ~ A fabulous site that focuses on bad design, so that you know what not to do. There's an immense amount of information here, and it is delivered in a fun tone. You can spend hours here - get started! 

How do I make my site easy to navigate?

• Building a better interface ~ Articles from four experts (including Jakob Nielsen) about designing Web site navigation in a way that best empowers users.
• Organizing Your Site from A-Z ~ An old article that focuses on creating a site index. Basic, but worth reading.
• Particles, Waves, and Site Visualization ~ A good overview of the various navigation schemes. Old but still worth reading.

Are there any famous collections of interface guidelines?

• Mac OS 8 Human Interface Guidelines ~ The bible of the theory behind the Macintosh "look and feel", straight from the Apple mothership. Also good for Web designers. Apple has a wonderful Web site on Mac OS 8 and 9 Developer Documentation; you should take a look, as it will inspire you when creating your Web sites.

Where can I find stuff about information architecture?

• STC Information Design ~ A nice collection of links, nicely subdivided into associations, lists, journals, blogs, and more.
• Information Architecture Resources ~ An excellent collection of resources ... and it's kept up to date too!

Want to suggest a Web site we've missed, or let us know about a broken link? Email & let us know!

Note: These links lead to Web sites that are not under my control. I bear no responsibility for the content of these sites.