Designing applications for the Web vs for the desktop

Hal Shubin, Interaction Design, Inc.& Margaret M. Meehan, Text Matters

Applications on the Web range from completing simple tasks, such as filling in a form, to more complex undertakings, such as collaborating on a project. This paper discusses how Web applications differ from the more traditional desktop applications. (In fact, since Web 2.0, they're merging again.)

Our proven design process takes these similarities and differences into account. Let's talk about applying these ideas to your next project.

1. Introduction (this page)
2. Basic navigation
3. Losing users and losing work
4. Separating the browser and the application
5. Lack of context
6. Delays caused by network connections
7. Conclusion

The tools available for designing Web pages allow anyone to become a Web application designer. But the Web – unlike Windows, Macintosh, and Unix – has no standards for designing applications. People come to the Web with expectations based on using the other platforms, and these expectations make up their conceptual model of using an application on the Web.

Frequently in Web applications, users get lost because the model of navigation on the Web differs from that in desktop applications. Even after many years of the Web, this can still be a problem. This difference causes confusion among users, and designers need to adapt their design rules to the Web to help people use the application successfully.

This paper discusses several common navigational problems and techniques for avoiding them in designing Web applications. Although the focus is on applications rather than on purely informational sites, you can use these guidelines for designing anything on the Web.

Table of contents

1. Introduction
2. Basic navigation
3. Losing users and losing work
4. Separating the browser and the application
5. Lack of context
6. Delays caused by network connections
7. Conclusion

Download the full article (PDF, 52KB)

More information

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Books on usability studies and other design topics.

Download a PDF copy of the full paper.