Category Archives: Usability

Two types of websites

Posted on January 19, 2010 by lehresman

Something I have noticed over the years is that there are fundamentally two uses of the Web: web pages, and web applications. Each are created, developed, and maintained very differently. It is useful to understand which you are creating before … Continue reading →

Posted in Observations, Usability | Leave a comment

How to optimize images

Posted on December 30, 2009 by lehresman

In this series, I have been going through several techniques web developers can use to improve the performance of their websites.  Previously I discussed using sprite images to reduce HTTP requests during page load.  This article will show several things … Continue reading →

Posted in Performance, Usability | Leave a comment

Using CSS sprite images

Posted on December 28, 2009 by lehresman

Previously, I discussed how the #1 problem with slow-loading websites is often the number of separate HTTP requests, and I demonstrated the method I use to optimize requests for JavaScript and CSS.  Now lets talk about images. Images and icons … Continue reading →

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Speeding up your site

Posted on December 22, 2009 by lehresman

We’ve all had the experience of visiting a website that includes elements and widgets from all over the place.  When I encounter a site like this, I often amusedly watch the status bar on my browser: “Loading 7 of 231 … Continue reading →

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Writing for the web

Posted on December 16, 2009 by lehresman

The Internet is awash with information, and people are in a hurry.  Research has consistently shown that people don’t read on the web; they scan.  What can we learn from this?  There are styles we can employ when writing for … Continue reading →

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