Reviews

Website review: www.norwood.org.uk

IT | Mrudula Kodali | 4 Aug 2010

Web expert Mrudula Kodali runs the rule over the website of learning disabilities charity Norwood.

The changing images on the homepage draw attention effectively. But there’s no ability to control the image changes. The site visitor is in the dark as to how many images there are in total or indeed how to go back or forward a picture. Implementing a carousel would work well here, setting expectations and handing site visitors control.

The news ticker is easily missed, being so close to the powerful images. Similar to the imagery, the ticker also has no controls to pause, rewind or forward a story. BBC News has an excellent example of a controllable ticker.

It’s great to see the support helpline visible on every page at the top. There’s also a clear call-to-action to donate online, making it very easy for potential donors. However, the logo and search are positioned unconventionally. Search is traditionally expected at the top right and the logo top left, a mirror of Norwood’s implementation.

The main navigation labels are exemplary, being clear and posing exactly the questions a site visitor might have about the organisation and website. The teaser views of ‘what we do’ and ‘how you can help’ on the homepage provide the site visitor with key information as well as enhancing the site’s search engine optimisation (SEO).

However, the left hand navigation is lacking in usability. The text size is too small and the area doesn’t stand out as navigation, being on a white background.

While viewing options are available on the top left, it’s surprising that this only presents colour contrast choices. There’s a recognisable text resizing icon but no way to change the font size. Although text resizing is possible through browser controls, only advanced web users tend to be aware of this.

Video content is slow to load and starts playing automatically. Best practice is to offer visitors the option to play. A variety of factors such as bandwidth, appropriateness of the situation (eg in the middle of an office without headphones) can determine this choice.

Overall, the site has decent usability but mostly lacks in offering its visitors control. With some changes it could easily provide a superior user experience.

Score: 7/10

Mrudula Kodali is a senior consultant at Webcredible

Tweet

Who's Who: Mrudula Kodali