In the web, more than anywhere else, an image is worth
more than a thousand words; however, it is also that many times heavier in the
downloading speed of each page. I insist on the downloading speed (http://www.gxtechnical.com/main/Hgxnews.aspx?2,6,69,6569),
since I consider it the most important issue related to usability. If the page
downloading speed is poor, the users will not bother to wait and will go to
another site, probably the competitor's one.
Therefore, images must be carefully used to add content
and avoid the unnecessary weight that impacts the page's downloading time and
the user's perception of the information quality offered.
The following suggested steps will help you strike a
balance:
1- Discard images that do not add content
and are there only because they are cute, funny, etc.
2- For corporate or business sites, discard the
use of Flash, videos or animated images unless it is strictly
necessary. These types of images are heavier than the static ones, and in the
case of Flash use, one should also add the time to download the component and/or
the software to view it, as well as its installation time.
In addition, animations distract the user from the site's
content, and in corporate sites, this is exactly the opposite effect we want to
achieve. What's more important in my site: My content or my graphic designer's
creativity? Let your designer apply all his/her creativity in his/her own site,
where that creativity becomes content.
The following is an interesting article on image use for
e-learning that can be extrapolated to other sites: http://www.learningcircuits.org/2003/aug2003/toth.htm
3- Re-use images for the same concepts.
In this way the user's learning time is reduced when associating concepts.
Furthermore, if the image has the same name and is stored at the same place, it
will be saved in the final user's cache and will be re-used in consecutive
instances, reducing the loading time of new pages within the site.
4- Reduce the images size. It is
preferable to show images a bit smaller and offer the user the possibility to
see them at their full size through a link, rather than delaying the page
downloading due to a large and heavy image.
5- Reduce the images weight. There are
many tools that allow us to keep a good image quality at a low weight.
Examples: http://download.com.com/3000-2186-10218352.html
http://www.spinwave.com/jc/
(http://www.sitepoint.com/article/fast-tips-fast-downloads)
6- Make an image puzzle whenever
possible, as this affects the perception one has of the downloading
time.
For more information, please visit: http://www.devx.com/projectcool/article/19929