Good usability of Rich Internet Applications

22 jul 2008

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Website visitors are becoming more and more visually oriented and expect companies to cater for that. Rich Internet Applications (abbreviated as RIA's), sometimes referred to as interactive internet applications, respond directly to the information entered by users, without another page having to be opened. RIAs therefore increase the website's user-friendliness and visitor perception. This also makes RIAs attractive for corporate websites and intranet sites. However, one thing should be kept in mind: RIAs only have added value when their applications are functional, otherwise website users won't benefit from them. In this article, we will discuss the use and usability of interactive applications in a corporate environment.

Advantages and applications of RIAs

Speed: Pages with RIAs respond more quickly to visitors’ interactions than standard HTML websites. This is because only changed information is collected, so the entire page doesn’t have to be reloaded. As a result, there is less data traffic between the user and the web server. RIAs are therefore efficient and time-saving, making the website more user-friendly.
Opening up information: Websites play a major role in communication and business processes. As a result, corporate websites or intranet sites often contain considerable content. RIAs can help visitors find their way through the bulk of information, without them being led to a new page. This improves the accessibility and clarity of information.
Convenience: RIAs can assist visitors in filling in forms by providing previously used information in relevant places so that users don’t have to repeatedly fill in the same information. Users expect this degree of interaction, which makes them experience old-style forms without RIAs as user-unfriendly. RIAs are not only very appealing for intranet sites but also for service forms on corporate websites.
Multimedia perception: RIAs can be used for a variety of applications. They enable the creation of a unique mix of transactions, communications, videos and animation. RIAs therefore make a visit to a website an experience in itself.

Pointers for a user-friendly introduction of RIAs

1. Make the website an experience to visit
Make the website visit a pleasant and efficient event by providing the user with a true experience. This can be achieved by allowing visitors to play with the website and by offering them handy tools that can lead to a visual performance of the visitor’s choice with just a few clicks. For example, visitors to your recruitment section can acquaint themselves with your company in an interactive way. You can also give them a glimpse of your production process or services. Make sure you don’t lose sight of your objective. The application must always remain functional.

Virtual prison: With just a few clicks in the virtual prison, website visitors will be introduced to a variety of job descriptions, the activities and the prison employees’ location.

2. Provide clear information
Provide visitors with easy access to a large amount of information by allowing them to select the information they wish to have. Thanks to RIAs, the requested information will be displayed quickly, clearly and on a single page. RIAs can provide great added value, in particular when it comes to large amounts of information and archiving.

OPG Group: A variety of tabs gives clear insight into an archive with press releases covering several years.

International Monetary Fund: The map clearly illustrates the total economic activity per country. Click on the country in question, and the corresponding graph will be drawn in the bottom section.

3. Ensure user-friendliness
Ensure that the application’s functions are clear to the user:

Make it visually clear that a visitor can perform a task, for example by having part of the application move
With complicated applications, provide instructions for use
Ensure that you use the proper names for words, sentences and concepts that visitors are familiar with

Jaxtr: In this example, a clear explanation is given of what must be filled in and what went wrong. This assists the visitor and reduces the chances of error.

4. Offer alternativesEnsure that users aren’t dependent on an advanced method but can also enter information in the ‘usual’ way. This is especially advisable for older users.

ABN AMRO: The number of years can be adjusted with the slider. Those who don’t fully understand

5. Ensure that the technology worksRich Internet Applications are more complex to build than traditional web applications. They are more difficult to maintain and make higher demands on the visitor’s system. Therefore, ensure that:

The application is easy to use (test this with users!) and that the application is technologically sound
The application’s loading time is kept to a minimum

6. Provide feedbackThe system should always tell visitors what is happening, even when the application is not being used properly. This can be achieved by always providing the right feedback. It will enable you to help users understand the value of the investment in the interaction, so they can orient themselves in the best possible way during the activity.

Total provides feedback on the number of steps in the recruitment process. Job-seekers can therefore see exactly where they are in the process and know what kind of information to still expect.

In closing

When developing RIAs, consider carefully who your users are and what their needs are. Only then should you start your design in order to fulfil these needs in the best and most attractive possible manner. RIAs that are applied well save visitors time, stimulate interactiveness and in particular increase user-friendliness. RIAs that don’t have functional added value, however, do not contribute to usability and therefore have a negative impact on the website’s user-friendliness.