90 Part I: Tools, Planning, and Content
90 Part I: Tools, Planning, and Content 9th of February, 2004 February 9, 2004 9 FEB 2004 9 February 2004 If you choose to do this, it srecommend that you do so in addition to including the international format. note You can learn more about international standard formats at the ISO Web site, www.iso.ch/. The date and time standard is ISO 8601. A related issue is the way we describe time in documents. Most of the world uses the 24-hour time format something that people in the United States typically refer to as military time and only use in formal settings. Otherwise, we use an A.M./P.M. format to denote time. Most of the world: 13:00 U.S.: 1 P.M. Fortunately, most people in the United States are familiar with the 24-hour time format, so use it to reach the broadest audience possible. The ISO 8601 standard echoes this logic: it says to use 24-hour time in all cases. However, while this is a reasonable solution, there are going to be cases where using international formatting isn t the best choice, such as with U.S.-based intranets or U.S.-centric sites. In those cases, using U.S. formats may be the better choice. tip If you re going to use U.S. time formats, include the A.M. or P.M. for greater clarity. Secret #63: Cost-Controlled Usability Testing Perhaps one of the greatest controversies inWeb design is how to performusability tests that provide results without incurring significant cost to the client. There are two primary types of usability testing: Lab-based and remote. In the lab-based version, testers observe site visitors as they manually go through a set of tasks. Testers will interview the participants and write up an overview of their research. The research results can then be applied to the site to improve its usability. The advantage of lab-based testing is that the process can be tightly controlled and cleanly observed. The major disadvantage of lab-based testing is that it can be extremely costly. In remote testing, the people to be tested are using the Web site in question, online. The key component of remote testing is finding good online meeting tools and online applications so testers can observe remote site visitors. The advantages of remote testing include being able to reach a wider audience and keeping costs down. Usability studies can be offered throughout the life cycle of a site s development, something that many usability specialists recommend. The drawbacks to
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