Web artists need to understand web usability

Afterimage, Jan-Feb, 2004 by Henry Guild

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Considering the commissioned works presented by the Alternative Museum Web site, serious usability problems derive from ineffective page and content design. Consequently, users must assess system requirements, determine security risks, and guess navigation options. As expectations about Web art are still being formed, artists may benefit by research, which seeks to include users in systems development.

Is the art community aware of usability issues? On the opening page for the TAM digital media commissions, a disclaimer warns potential users that problems win be encountered when viewing the artwork (Alternative Museum 2003). Essentially, curators have excused artists from considering the needs of users. The disclaimer states that downloading software and using sites will be frustrating; everyone is not to have access to these works. Addressing consumers, sponsors admit that the products are unusable, to what other industry would such actions represent responsible behavior? Even though consumers on the Internet control navigation (Nielsen 2000), curators and artists have discounted audience reactions.

How can artists create compelling Web art? Interestingly, artists face the same technical limitations as designers of commercial sites. In industry, usability engineers have become indispensable partners during systems development. Because initial designs usually cause unanticipated problems, iterative design seeks to include different perspectives (Badre 2002). Several iterations of design and continuous testing are usually needed to match the capacities of the media to the needs of the users. While designers attempt to expand the limits imposed by HTML, the separation of content and presentation must be maintained (Nielsen 2000). Thereby, a variety of software can access and translate the same content. 'To determine whether tasks can be performed, usability testing becomes essential, if people fail to identify products, to find information, and to perform work, a Web site remains worthless. Significantly, artists in the TAM digital media commissions failed to explain relationships, to demonstrate functions, and to define purposes.

Significantly, the problems observed on these sites have been addressed by the literature. Thus, users should be unconcerned about platform requirements for viewing sites (Nielsen 2000); mandating software downloads should be eliminated. Alternatively, links should include content description and download times (Nielsen and Tahir 2002); users can thereby determine interests and options. Essentially, the viewer should remain in control of the interactive process. Given the complications of providing multimedia over the Internet, development strategies must allow default presentation formats when particular user's systems lack specified features (Tannenbaum 1998). Considering content design and navigation options, usability testing can provide direct feedback to designers. In fact, Web artists face the same usability problems as Web designers. Seeking to use the Internet for creative expression, artists can benefit by establishing a dialog with the users.