SV: Page length and number of links

Hi!

I agree with Patrick, and this is a classic usability topic. General answers do not excist, at least the target group and type of content is important. Steve Krug has some quite good usability statements (in the book Don't make me think): 

1. Don't make me think
2. It doesn't matter how many times I have to click, as long as each click is a mindless unambiguous choice.
3. Get rid of half the words on each page. Then get rid of half of whats left.

As Patrick write: "... though it may make their experience far more tedious" is of course correct (and this is probably the reason why you asked this question). An example is a page with hundreds of links without any local page jumps: possible to use with a keyboard, but not efficient for the keyboard youser.

Morten Tollefsen
www.medialt.no, +47 908 99 305

-----Opprinnelig melding-----
Fra: Patrick H. Lauke [mailto:redux@splintered.co.uk] 
Sendt: 21. juni 2013 11:31
Til: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Emne: Re: Page length and number of links

On 21/06/2013 09:55, Vivienne CONWAY wrote:
> I'm looking for a bit of advice about the appropriate maximum length 
> of a page and number of links on pages.  We recently came across a 
> page that seems to go on forever and can't see any of the guidelines 
> that actually deals with this issue.  The page is poorly divided up 
> and that obviously comes under headings etc.
> Also, wondering if anyone has any 'best practice' links on both this 
> and the number of links that a page should limit itself to.  If you 
> think either of these violates WCAG 2, I'd really like to hear how and why.

This sounds to me like more of a general usability issue rather than a specific accessibility one (as overly long pages will likely affect all users, not just specifically users with disabilities, though it may make their experience far more tedious). And no, there doesn't seem to be anything specific in WCAG 2.0 on this matter.

It's difficult to say what length a page should be..."as long as it needs to be" is possibly the only advice I could give.

If this was part of an audit, I'd add it as a general remark about usability.

Sorry, not very helpful I guess...

P
--
Patrick H. Lauke
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Received on Friday, 21 June 2013 10:18:05 UTC