{"id":18816,"date":"2023-02-08T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techforgood.cymru\/resource\/website-design-critique-3-dementia-uk\/"},"modified":"2024-09-24T08:14:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T07:14:10","slug":"website-design-critique-3-dementia-uk","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/promo.cymru\/cy\/resource-articles\/website-design-critique-3-dementia-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"Website design critique #3: Dementia UK"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Dementia UK site offers information and support for people affected by dementia. Shivy reviewed the usability and experience of three aspects of the site:<\/p>\n

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  1. Navigation <\/li>\n
  2. Homepage<\/li>\n
  3. Helpline page<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We\u2019ve made that feedback open so you and others can learn from it.<\/p>\n

    Part 1. Navigation review<\/h2>\n

    Dementia UK weren\u2019t sure if their site navigation was useful or accessible for their users. The navigation (Fig. 1, below) appears on every site page. It is important because it is the main way users find what they need on the site.<\/p>\n

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    <\/div>
    Fig. 1: navigation layout (above the image)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    The navigation\u2019s layout takes up a lot of page space. Most of this space is taken up by the logo, helpline number, search and donate button. There are also 2 navigation menus –  a secondary menu (top of screen, small grey links) and a main menu, below the logo. <\/p>\n

    Navigation elements are visually unbalanced<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The layout and sizing of navigation elements is visually unbalanced. This affects how the user\u2019s eyes move over the elements. <\/p>\n

    People\u2019s eyes are likely to go first to the main image, then the large logo, helpline number, donate button and lastly the main menu. The main menu will be last because the other elements are more visually prominent. The greater visual importance given to these other elements is likely to distract the user from using the main menu to navigate the site. <\/p>\n

    This problem will repeat across the site because the navigation appears, as it should, on every page. <\/p>\n

    Users are likely to miss the secondary menu at the top of the screen. <\/p>\n

    Also, users using screen readers and keyboard navigation for accessibility will have to work through the secondary menu items first, then helpline, then the donate button, search and finally the main menu. Is this an appropriate journey for these users?<\/p>\n

    Too many links on the main menu<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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    Fig. 2: too many links<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Each main menu drop-down (Fig. 2, above) offers a large amount of links. Having this many options creates an overwhelming experience for users. This can lead to a paradox of choice<\/a>. <\/p>\n

    It also creates a long list to scroll through on mobile. <\/p>\n

    And people using keyboard and screen readers will have to work through every single link in the navigation from left to right to get where they want to be.<\/p>\n

    All of these issues could be tested and validated with users to understand how they interact with the menu.<\/p>\n

    Get support menu drop-down is the most overcrowded<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Too many columns and poor layout in some drop-downs (Fig. 3, below) also affects text legibility. Column titles become uneven, links run onto 2 or 3 lines and it becomes difficult to see where links start and end. <\/p>\n

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    <\/div>
    Fig. 3: too many columns and poor layout on drop-downs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Search problems<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Dementia UK told us that the search functionality has problems. We tested it and found that search terms don\u2019t always return appropriate results (if any at all). It needs more testing, but it would be better to remove the function than to offer a frustrating experience. <\/p>\n

    The majority of people on most sites tend to use navigation rather than search<\/a>. They only use search when they know precisely what they\u2019re looking for or when the navigation isn\u2019t producing results. <\/p>\n

    Navigation advice<\/h3>\n