Usability Guidelines from MIT

The MIT Information Services and Technologies office provides an excellent starting point for anyone needing to test, evaluate, analyze or assess the effective usability/accessibility of a Web site. In one well organized page, all critical areas of usability and accessibility are covered through a simple guidelines table that can be used to collect and annotate information.

The MIT usability guidelines include most of the critical factors to consider during a usability evaluation of a Web site though not all factors may apply to every Web site or online information system available out there.

The areas covered by the MIT set includes:

• Navigation


• Functionality


• User Control


• Language and Content


• Online Help and User Guides


• System and User Feedback


• Web Accessibility


• Consistency


• Error Prevention and Correction


• Architectural and Visual Clarity

See MIT Information Resources