I have chosen Kiplinger's business website to conduct a web usability analysis. Interactive design is an evolutionary process, when you take identified problems, visions, needs, and wants reported by user feedback, then incorporate or fix, and further evaluate to refine and increase the success of a given product. In this case the product is a website. Sharp, Rogers & Preece, (2007) said this about iterative design, "When problems are found in user testing, they are fixed and then more test and observations are carried out to see the effects of the fixes" (P. 425). The company website I have chosen will be analyzed using a critical eye that delves further into examples of specific factors that directly impact the usability of websites.
Cognitive-Affective Design Considerations
Reading, speaking, and listening and problem solving, planning, reasoning, and decision-making are examples of two cognitive factors that are essential to web usability analysis.
Although the meaning of reading, speaking, and listening remains the same regardless of media, however, the ease of reading, speaking and listening differs from one person to another. Websites that provide cognitive aides such as interactive tools, animation, multi-media, podcast, that assist all users especially users with dyslexic, hearing, and sight challenges. In an example, Sharp, Rogers & Preece, (2007) explains the marked differences between people and their preferred communications skills, “Some people prefer reading to listening, while others prefer listening. Likewise, some people prefer speaking to writing and vice versa" (P. 113). Kiplinger provides users with various options for retrieving information to satisfy preferred reading speaking, and listening requirements. Information is available in written form, podcast, slideshows, and other video formats.
When thinking about problem solving, planning, reasoning, and decision-making, it is important to present information in a way