Website Design Modeling Concepts

[web-designer]

Website Design Modeling Concepts

How the use of models facilitates designing for ease of use.

Models can be useful in designing and analyzing the user interface of a website. Relationships between elements in the website interface, the webserver that implements the elements, and the users of the website interface can be described and analyzed by using models. Furthermore, a model of the website interface can be implemented as a prototype to support iterative testing with website users.

We use three models that are relevant to the website design and implementation of a website. Each model provides a different perspective on the website interface, beginning with the end user's perspective, and including the website designer's perspective, and the implementing programmer's perspective.

In website design we use models to describe a website interface in terms of objects, properties, behaviors, and relationships between objects. A model provides a framework for analysis, understanding, and decision making.

A model must be accurate at whatever level of detail is chosen. Models must be under constant scrutiny and should be changed to reflect varying requirements and explain observed behaviors.

We have found it useful to consider three models during website design:

• The user's website conceptual model represents what the user thinks is happening and why
  
• The user website interface designer's model describes what the user is intended to experience
  
• The website programmer's model describes implementation details

To illustrate the relationship between these three models, consider an analogy between the role of a user website interface designer and an architect who is designing a house. These roles are similar in many respects because both of them require an understanding of all three models.

The website designer's role is to create a designer's model, or blueprint, of the website, just as an architect creates a blueprint of a house. To do this, the website designer must:

• Understand the user's conceptual model. Just as an architect must understand a client's needs and expectations to design a house that pleases the client, the user website interface designer needs to understand users, their tasks, and their expectations.
  
• Use accepted website design principles.
  
• Understand the capabilities and limitations of the programming environment, and the skills of the programmers who will be implementing the website interface. Just as an architect must know the strengths and weaknesses of building materials and the skills of the tradespeople who will build the house, website designers must understand the capabilities and restrictions of operating systems, file systems, window managers, programming toolkits, and other components used to implement the website interface.