Week 7 - Usability Evaluation: In Touch Foundation

Introduction

The In Touch Foundation is a registered charity based in West Yorkshire, UK, dedicated to helping homeless people by providing hot meals, emotional support and volunteering. This evaluation analyses the usability, accessibility, and technical structure of its website, with recommendations for improvement.

Initial Impressions

When first entering the website, the interface looks heartfelt but confusing. The homepage images are blurry, with no clear text or buttons. The text layout lacks hierarchy, making it difficult for users to understand the main services quickly.

Trunk Test

Where am I? The organisation’s name is in the header, but the site's purpose is not immediately clear.
What page am I on? There is no visible breadcrumb or subheading to indicate current location.
What are the major sections? Basic top navigation only, with no drop-downs or secondary links.
How do I navigate? Users have to rely on the top bar, with limited guidance or structure.

Seven Stages of Action

The site does not clearly present user goals or affordances. Volunteers or donors may want to help, but find no clear starting point like “Get Involved” or “Donate Now” buttons.

Usability Checklist Summary

✅ Clear branding
❌ Poor content hierarchy
❌ No call-to-action buttons
❌ No search bar or return-to-top functionality
⚠️ Basic navigation only

Accessibility Issues

Most images lack alt text, making them invisible to screen reader users.
Headings do not follow semantic HTML (e.g., no <h1>, <h2>).
Low contrast between text and background in many areas.
Link texts are vague (“Click here”, “Read more”).
Font scaling breaks layout, failing responsive design principles.

Technical Evaluation

The site relies heavily on <div>s and inline styles instead of semantic HTML5 tags. It lacks a responsive layout and basic SEO setup (e.g., no meta description).

Conclusion

While the In Touch Foundation’s website delivers meaningful content, its usability and accessibility require major improvements. Redesign should focus on structure clarity, interaction guidance, responsive styling, and assistive tech support.