Do you see the text resizer?
Tutorials have been written on how to implement a text resizer and even on how to detect when text has been resized and that is great. All companies that target older people should give the user the ability to resize the text. Yet, what good is the text resizer if the user cannot see it?
If the user is savvy enough they can use "Ctrl +" to resize the text. Some people do not know that shortcut. So the first thing they may do is look for one on the site. Now if the original font size is 12px the user can not see fonts at 12px, then your "Increase font size" message displayed at 12px will not be easy for them to see. Try increasing the font size of the message to a reasonable size where the user with vision troubles will see it.
Now once the user has the ability to see the text resizer half of the battle is won. Now they are going to go back and forth between what's too large and what is large enough, until they find a comfortable font size for them. The problem is though I question allowing them to be able to resize the text back down to the original font. Why? They will not be able to read it. So the font size should only be sizes that are larger than the original font size.
If you have an existing site maybe you can find out what size the users are resizing the text to for consideration when redesigning. Then use that data to make your design, at a minimum, flexible to the 2–3 most popular font sizes that are larger than the original font size.
Any thoughts?
Tags: accessibility, text resizers, usability
January 26th, 2009 at 00:18
I think you make a couple of great points here. I for one, hate text resizers. I think it would be much more useful to inform users who are not savvy about the tools already built in to the browser. Maybe when the users try and resize the text, a message should pop up informing them about "Ctrl +", "Ctrl -", and "Ctrl 0".
January 26th, 2009 at 21:55
@Trevor
Informing the user is the way to go as long as we do not have to create "Tour this site" sections, LOL!
January 27th, 2009 at 22:22
The question is how to and when to notify them?
A JavaScript popup is the wrong way to go, that implies an error has occurred which should not be the message. A new window would obliterate any UX you have going, some would be blocked by popup blockers, others will be quickly deleted thinking it was an ad, and the few that actually see it, will likely be annoyed by it's existence and miss the message being displayed. Your last option is an in-page pop up. Which have their own fails.
If accessibility is a concern, your gonna have to goway out of the way to ensure that they see the message. So, the pop up is going to have to NOT break the back button, in other words, give the browser a new url like page/#resize. Make sure that message is in the larger size, and that its existence is blatant.
Problem, after you go through all this, you have to ask yourself, have I ruined or lessened the quality of the UX with all these warnings and messages. Warnings and messages that I think are useful, but does the user? Familiarity is a powerful tool. Everything I mentioned goes directly against that.
People are used to Ctrl +, and if not, they know how to adjust it in the menu. And if your careful you can work re size links into a design without being a nuisance. People not familiar with the aforementioned options but in need of larger text may just find these easy to understand user controlled links to be the proffered option.
With the increase in "True Zoom" in newer browsers it's a bit late in the game to change a core UX function like text re size on a site specific level.
2 unsolicited cents. Sorry for the ramble.
January 28th, 2009 at 14:01
@Antoine
Thanks for the 2 cents. Personally I think people should either use Ctrl + or the menu.
I was just basically fishing for others thoughts on this topic.
Again thanks!
January 28th, 2009 at 21:08
No problem, someone has to always has to play devil's advocate.
March 14th, 2009 at 23:39
[...] couple months back I expressed my opinions about text resizer’s, so I will not repeat those thoughts here. I will just say users can resize the text using their [...]