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Special Report: Five Questions to Ask When Considering AJAX


Usability consultant Frank Spillers weighs in

By Jennifer deJong
March 15, 2008 —  1. Will using AJAX greatly improve the user experience with my site or Web application?

Do not use AJAX if it does not enhance a strategic aspect of your user experience. Such pitfalls as browser incompatibility could create technical and usability headaches for JavaScript developers and users. Be sure to test, refine code and retest. Just because the AJAX element works on your browser does not guarantee it will work on those of your users.

2. What is the user experience strategy that complements AJAX?

Though it can add sizzle, AJAX is a collective strategy to improve a user’s ability to complete tasks more effectively. AJAX is not the answer to every design problem; often, it is inappropriate or irrelevant. The excitement in a design should center on, “How can this improve the user’s task?” as opposed to, “How can we AJAX-ify this page to make it cool?”

3. Will JavaScript gracefully degrade in browsers, and is there an alternative if a user’s browser gets stuck?

Developers should support graceful degradation, using JavaScript detect scripts, and support JavaScript-free and mobile-friendly versions. Try to keep AJAX to user interface elements that add value throughout the experience but do not primarily require the technology to navigate a Web site, for example.

4. Is there a real need to use AJAX, or is it “just because”?

The technical pitfalls associated with AJAX require a disciplined use of JavaScript and AJAX. Think strategically about how AJAX can help the user on a particular page. Do not take AJAX for granted as a user interface technique. One should assume users would not be familiar with the interface tricks that AJAX offers; instead, try to make everything transparent. For example, a plus button that opens up should have a “Details…” link beside it.

5. Are you inventing new designs, or reinventing problematic designs—and how will you know if they work?

Good AJAX usability comes from testing your design with your target audience. Users rarely drink the Kool-Aid of new, whiz-bang technologies or interface enhancements.
AJAX should be used in the context of a user’s task and should help remove the browser’s workload of fetching pages and handshaking with a database. AJAX usability means that a user can do something on the screen that changes the display, and do so quickly, with minimal effort and with a responsive, just-in-time interface.

Source: Adapted from Demystifying Usability, experiencedynamics.blogs.com


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