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{{Short description|Wikimedia subject-area collaboration}}
{{WikiProject status|sc1=WP:USE|sc2=WP:UX}}
{{Wikipedia:WikiProject Usability/Navigation menu|collapsed=no}}
<p style="font-size:135%">The '''Wikipedia Usability Project''' aims to make Wikipedia easier for ''everyone'' to use.</p>  

This project aims to promote the application of [[usability]] best practices and/or [[web usability]]. Many other projects focus on the content of Wikipedia - this project focuses on the presentation of that content.

== Issues ==
[[Image:WikiProject Usability Icon.svg|thumb|right|alt=Logo of WikiProject Usability, a green dot with a red oval above it to make an exclamation mark and two light blue ovals to the upper left and upper right |The logo of the project by [[User:Kookykman|Kooky]]. Green represents the user, the three branches represent the web of information Wikipedia provides, and the middle path is the clearest, the one the project strives for. The shape recalls a blooming flower and the Wikimedia logo, as well.]]
This project hopes to make Wikipedia easy and pleasant to use by applying itself to the following [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Usability/Areas|areas]]:

* '''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Usability/Areas#Being intuitive|Being intuitive]]''' - contents made understandable by everyone; using familiar and [[affordance]] interface design for [[universal usability]]
* '''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Usability/Areas#Architecture|Architecture]]''' - Organisation of information.
* '''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Usability/Areas#Design|Design]]''' - Visual appearance of Wikipedia; making it "easy on the eyes", and standardized (all things of a certain type should appear in the same form).
* '''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Usability/Areas#Interface|Interface]]''' - Making editing and other interactions easier.
* '''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Usability/Areas#Compatibility|Compatibility]]''' - [[Cross-browser]] support; ease of use for everyone on any device and any browser
* '''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Usability/Areas#Standards and accessibility|Standards and accessibility]]''' - making use of [[W3C]]-recommended [[XHTML]] and [[Cascading Style Sheets|CSS]] in a manner that promotes the above and [[Wikipedia:Accessibility|accessibility]]
* '''Speed''' - loading time of Wikipedia page (yet to be added area)

== Current projects ==

* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Usability/Reducing interface complexity]]
* [http://usability.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Usability Initiative]
* [http://usability.wikimedia.org/wiki/What%27s_new,_questions_and_answers FAQ for the new Vector skin user interface]

== Past projects==
* [[Wikipedia:Community Portal/Draft|Community Portal redesign]] 
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Help|Help page redesign]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Usability/Main Page|Main Page redesign]] [[Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Usability/Main Page|(related discussions)]]

== Future projects ==
See '''[[Wikipedia:WikiProject Usability/Future projects|future projects]]''' for what we may tackle next!

== Queries ==
* [[Wikipedia talk:Community Portal#Request]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wikipedia_talk:Community_Portal&diff=33240747&oldid=33108130] - "is there no way to get a better interface? most people have javascript its just that its all so very confusing- maybe that is supposed to put most people off? NO indication where one is supposed to join up/post/ pages and pages....protocols... and all the jargon offputting. you need to attract people who don't necessarily have computer knowledge but subject knowledge you should make it easy for eg. my grandfather, who is an expert on aviation history to contribute to this online resource- its all so very confusing!!!!!"

*At [[Talk:Isotope table (complete)]] we are debating a proposal by [[User:Greg L]] to put the article's full isotope table, and [[Isotope table (divided)]]'s table, in a single larger article. Much of the argument is about usability, as well as performance. Input from the Usability project might be useful. --[[User:JWB|JWB]] ([[User talk:JWB|talk]]) 16:49, 22 February 2008 (UTC)

== Tasks ==
Tasks/to-dos, current efforts, requests for help, and major notices. (Remove when resolved.)
* Spreading the word about this WikiProject! 
::If you know anyone who may be a valuable addition to this project, leave a comment on their talk page directing them here. You could also leave comments on talk pages that are directly related to this subject.

== Discussion ==
* The [[Wikipedia Talk:WikiProject Usability|talk page]]

== Sub-pages ==
* [[/Color]] - use of color in Wikipedia
* [[/Color Tabs]] - side tabs for browsing (color coded)
* [[/Sizing examples]] - browser width and image size
* [[/HTML]] - use of [[HTML]] and [[Cascading Style Sheets|CSS]] in Wikipedia
* [[/Images]] - images in Wikipedia articles
* [[/Notices]] - notices, boxes, and other "meta" elements
* [[/MediaWiki]] - key MediaWiki pages/interface parts

==Templates==
* {{tlx|WikiProject Usability}} - project banner (mostly for the talk pages of templates that serve usability functions, as well as pages having to do with usability issues)
* {{tlx|User WikiProject Usability}} - user box to "advertise" your participation in the project.
* {{tlx|The Usability Barnstar|put your message here <nowiki>~~~~</nowiki>}}

== Participants ==
If you'd like to join (please do!), add yourself and optionally your areas of interest/expertise to the list of participants. Feel free to add {{t|User WPUsability}} to your list of userboxes.

*[[/Participants]]

Listing yourself does not obligate you to do anything. This section serves primarily as a gauge of project interest, and to provide links to users who may be contacted in regards to this WikiProject, their interests, or usability in general.

== See also ==
Articles:
* [[Computer accessibility]]
* [[Web accessibility]]
* [[Usability]]
* [[Web usability]]

Wikipedia:
* [[Wikipedia:Accessibility]]
* [[Wikipedia:Guide to layout]]
* [[Wikipedia:Template standardisation]]
* [[Wikipedia:Article size]] suggests 32k ceiling
* [[Wikipedia:Colours]]
* [[Wikipedia:Catalogue of CSS classes]]

WikiProjects:
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Accessibility|WikiProject Accessibility]]
* [[Wikipedia:Help Project]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Check Wikipedia|WikiProject Check Wikipedia]]
* [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Human–Computer Interaction|WikiProject Human–Computer Interaction]]

Proposals:
* [[Wikipedia:Proposal for Table: namespace and intuitive table editor|Proposal for Table: namespace and intuitive table editor]]
* [[Wikipedia:Village_pump_%28perennial_proposals%29#A_better_description|Automatic edit summaries]] (see also [http://bugzilla.wikipedia.org/show_bug.cgi?id=2437 Bug 2437])

Other:
* [[m:Usability]] and [[m:Usability design group]] on [[m:|Meta]]
* [[w:de:Wikipedia:WikiProjekt Usability/Test Februar 2006|German Wikipedia - usability study]] (February 2006)
* [http://openusability.org/reports/get_file.php?group_id=109&repid=69 German Wikipedia - usability study] (external PDF)
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206033616/https://openusability.org/projects/wikipedia |title=Wikipedia on OpenUsability |date=February 6, 2007}}

==External links==
*[https://design.wikimedia.org Wikimedia Design], including the Wikimedia Style Guide

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