Note: To collect evidence related to this checklist use the Excel file: Evidence collection from the Checklist “Content” (xlsx, 101KB)
Requirements to be met:
A first glimpse of the website should show a brief definition of its purpose that gives the user an indication of which website it is, and which tasks can be carried out.
When complex or technical terms are used that are not in current use, a definition must be aggregated. All terms defined in this way should be part of a glossary available on the website.
Each single content block or set of related content blocks should have the date of its update, express in a font size of 2pt below that of the body of text, with a smaller contrast but never less than 4.5:1.
The identification of the entity responsible for the contents produced, including a link to the contact page should appear at the bottom of all pages.
In order to ensure that the text is readable for all users, the font size of the text that makes up the body of the document should be at least 12 points, ensuring whenever that they are scalable to larger sizes, whenever the user considers it necessary.
Secondary information, such as authors of texts or images, publication dates or other types of meta-information can use smaller font sizes, but at least 10 points, always ensuring that they are scalable to larger sizes whenever the user considers it necessary.
To maintain reading comfort, blocks or lines of text should be no more than 100 characters wide. The 80 characters correspond to the size presented in studies as the most comfortable for users.
To ensure comfortable reading of text blocks, a line spacing of 1.5x the font size should be used.
The main navigation should be balanced, neither with too many top options without secondary options, nor with too few top options and too many secondary options. No level of navigation should have more than 9 options.
The first level options of the main navigation are always visible and are always in the same place on every page. The current position of the user in the navigation should be highlighted.
Text links should have a minimum contrast of 4.5:1 with the surrounding text and a complementary visual representation of colour - ideally the links should be underlined. Text links should appear in the same way throughout the website.
Documents with more than three screen heights should have the header hierarchy mirrored in an index at the top of the page with internal links to the respective sections and subsections.
The layout of the website should be adaptable to the most common display sizes, adapting to various screen widths without horizontal scan bars.
There should be no interaction elements, such as hyperlinks or buttons, that appear only when you hover with a pointing device. This method of interaction is not available on touch interaction devices.
In order to ensure that all interactive elements are easily operable by any type of pointing or touching device, they must have a minimum size of 44px CSS in height and width.
There should be only one main action button per page and it should be in a contrasting colour. All the other buttons should be considered as secondary.
Clickable graphic elements should be perceptible as such through shape, colour or apparent volume.