Quality not Quantity
What does Quality Assurance mean for web site development?
Quality assurance, related to web sites, describes the process of enforcing quality control standards and working to improve the processes that are used in producing the web site and its components, infrastructure and content. If quality assurance is well implemented, a web site should see progressive improvement in terms of both lessening rate of defects and general increase in site usability and performance.
What are the QA principles, "Fit for Purpose" and "Right First Time"?
"Fit for purpose" means that the product should be suitable for the intended purpose; and "Right first time" means mistakes should be eliminated.
How do web standard relate to web quality?
Standards improve the quality of web design and the effectiveness of the website in general. The quality of a website is often measured by adherence to standards. Web standards focus on a wide range of issues including design quality, accessibility and usability of web sites.
What does Web Accessibility mean?
Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can use the Web. More specifically, Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web, and that they can contribute to the Web. Web accessibility can also benefit others, including older people with changing abilities due to aging.
What are some steps you can take to make your pages more accessible?
- Use relative font sizes expressed in percentages or ems, rather than absolute font sizes expressed in points or pixels. This practice allows users to make the text larger or smaller as desired.
- Provide alternative text equivalents for all meaningful graphics. If the graphic includes text, be sure that the alternative text (often referred to as an "alt tag") supplies all of the words.
Quality not Quantity
I performed quality reviews on ancestrypics.com and the Business Development Center site and created corresponding QA checklists. View these QA documents links.
- Ancestrypics.com QA checklist
- Ancestrypics.com QA test sheet
- Business Development Center QA checklist
- Business Development Center QA test sheet
Review your Review
What was most helpful in establishing a clear purpose for the websites that you reviewed?
The most helpful things about establishing a clear purpose for websites that I have reviewed are have a descriptive identity section and a consistent menu across all pages.
In reviewing several other team websites, what was the thing that was most striking about the designs you saw?
The most striking thing that I saw in viewing other websites was the submenu on the BDC website that scrolls with the page. The submenu has nice texture and shape.
What would you like to change about your own team site based on your experience reviewing other team websites?
There is nothing I want to change. The websites are so different; each one has its own personality.