Conventions for terms and icons of major units of content of transit websites have been identified using usability-engineering methods. These conventions were determined using paper-and-pencil rating scales where participants indicated the likelihood that a term or icon would lead to a particular unit of content. Recommended terms and icons were selected based on their associations with both their intended content and lack of association with other content. It is anticipated that the ultimately selected conventions will serve to: (1) reduce duplication of effort for web designers, (2) make available the results of user-centered design especially to those who cannot perform it themselves, and (3) improve consistency across transit websites. Further testing is required to both enhance a spectrum of acceptable alternatives, and to dynamically evaluate selected conventions in the context of actual websites.
Abstract