Conclusion and Resources

This article describes a sampling of Web widgets that can be created or enhanced with scripts. A final point to consider is consistency. Consistency is a very big deal when it comes to usability. While client-side scripts can allow developers to create or enhance Web widgets, there are still standard GUI guidelines to consider and a need to develop internal guidelines specific to the Web site or application you may be building. Users should only have to learn once how a cascading navigation menu or a scripted submit button works. Creating an interaction design style guide as part of your project can help communicate these guidelines to all members of your team and help ensure consistency across your Web site.

Resources

• For free information about the latest Internet statistics including platform and browser usage, visit http://www.echoecho.com
  
  
• Visit these Web sites to obtain free client-side scripts that you can incorporate into your Web pages:
  • The Javascript Source
  • Hotscripts.com
  • Scriptsearch
  • Dynamic Drive (DHTML)
  
  
• Read the white paper, Macromedia Flash: A New Hope for Web Applications, by Christine Perfetti and Jared Spool, for a positive view on the use of Flash.
  
  
• To learn more about developing standards-compliant scripts, visit the W3C.org site.
  
  
• Visit the Omnium Projects at the University of New South Wales College of Fine Arts for examples of scrollbars and other interesting interactions.
  
  
• Check out the MSDN Library for information about GUI design standards, or the Java Look and Feel Design Guidelines.
  
  
• Join the Special Interest Group for Information Architects listserv to participate in frequent dialogues about information architecture, usability and accessibility.
  
  
• Read the W3C.org's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to ensure your client-side scripts are accessible or degradable.
  
  
• Test the accessibility of your client-side scripts with IBM's Home Page Reader or with Bobby.