Usability issues pertaining to link styling

In the last week link styling has been brought up as a usability issue, which it is. I always try to style my links LVHA or Love Hate awful acronym but easy to remember.

In the discussions and links provided its clear that most sites should try to use breadcrumbs, (where you are now) which I like and will be endeavouring to use and that older web site users in particular need more defined visual clues to help in knowing where they've been.

As an aside with regard to breadcrumbs, I often find that Blackboard and WebCT breadcrumbs stuff up. Blackboard often doesn't give the whole link/breadcrumb & WebCT jumbles them up as below.

Assignments One & Two

Assignment 1 - Market Research for Proposed Project
Due 11/4/08

To test the student's ability to identify a problem-solving idea for a Web site and see what competition it has online.

Task

• Write up a report identifying a problem-solving idea for a Web site you would like to design.
• Include an analysis of your proposed audience, your objectives, and your expected outcomes for the site.
• Identify at least three competing Web sites that contain at least one of each of the following: a similar topic, a visual style you admire, and/or the kind of functionality you would like to incorporate into your project design.

Assignment 2 - Usability Research Scrapbook
Due 30/5/08

To test the student's ability to keep an ongoing Research Scrapbook of their Usability testing.

Task

Use a sketchbook or create an online blog that you can use to conduct informal usability testing
in at the planning, organization, rough sketch, and page design stages over the course of the semester.

The Research Scrapbook must include the following:

• Evidence of regular usability testing throughout your design process
• at the planning stage (can include notes from preparing for assignment 3)
• at the organizational stage
• at the rough sketch stage
• and after completing your paper-based page designs
• Using three participants each time

So this would be the start of Assignment 2.

NED23 Internet Design - Usability

Well this is my first post in my online Usability Research Scrapbook for this unit.