An investigation of usability issues in AJAX based web sites

Ajax, as one of the technological pillars of Web 2.0, has revolutionized the way that users access content and interact with each other on the Web. Unfortunately, many developers appear to be inspired by what is technologically possible through Ajax disregarding good design practice and fundamental usability theories. The key usability challenges of Ajax have been noted in the research literature with some technical solutions and design advice available on developer forums. What is unclear is how commercial Ajax developers respond to these issues. This paper presents the results of an empirical study of four commercial web sites that utilize Ajax technologies. The study investigated two usability issues in Ajax with the results contrasted in relation to the general usability principles of consistency, learnability and feedback. The results of the study found inconsistencies in how the sites managed the usability issues and demonstrated that combinations of the issues have a detrimental effect on user performance and satisfaction. The findings also suggest that developers may not be consistently responding to the available advice and guidelines. The paper concludes with several recommendations for Ajax developers to improve the usability of their Web applications.