Online and downloadable tools

Accessibility

  • Backward compatibility viewer
    An online tool that shows how pages look in older browsers.

  • Bobby
    An online accessibility evaluation tool that produces a detailed text report.

  • Colour blindness simulation
    Vischeck simulates three kinds of colour blindness.

  • CynthiaSays
    An online accessibility evaluation tool that produces a detailed text report.

  • Distractability simulation
    Experience the frustrations similar to what someone with a cognitive disability may experience on the web.

  • Low vision simulation
    View web content through several types of vision disabilities. Learn how to design content to best work with screen enlarging software.

  • Lynx viewer
    An online tool that simulates a text-only browser.

  • Screen reader simulation
    Experience a screen reader and learn how inaccessible content affects screen reader (generally blind) users.

  • Site check
    Site check lets you enter a URL and access test results provided by important validators and accessibility tools.

  • The Wave
    An online accessibility evaluation tool from WebAIM that produced a visual report.

Card sorting

  • CardSort: UCD tool for information architecture
    CardSort is a software tool which helps information architects to conduct computer aided card sorting.

  • CardZort zone
    CardZort is a computer application that runs card sorting exercises. Its main purpose is to offer a complete computer-aided system that allows the fast creation and execution of card sorting exercises, and the analysis of the resulting groups via cluster analysis.

  • Classified
    Classified is a program designed to evaluate navigational structures for web sites, documents, program menus, catalogues and other information spaces.

  • EZSort
    The EZSort tool helps interface designers organise information based on users' expectations using statistical cluster analysis. This tool includes two packages--USort and EZCalc. The USort program can be used by card sort participants to sort virtual cards with a simple GUI interface, instead of using physical cards. It can also be used by study administrators to generate card list and enter existing card sort result from individual participants. Once individual card sort results are captured by the USort package, test administrators can use the EZCalc package to manage card sort data from multiple participants, and perform cluster analyses. EZCalc generates tree diagrams that allow direct adjustment of the cluster thresholds. The packages can be used in designing Web sites, program interfaces, and many other information design applications.

  • Socratic Card Sort
    An online sorting and analysis tool sold as part of a suite of  market research tools from from Socratic Technologies.

  • uzCardSort
    uzCardSort is an open source Mozilla-based tool for conducting and analysing card sorts. It runs on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux versions of Mozilla and in other Gecko runtimes supporting XPInstall. The system supports the creation, editing, and running of projects. Exploratory analysis and a rudimentary clustering algorithm are in place.

  • Web-based card sorting for information architecture
    An article on the development of Card Sort, a web-based interface which allows designers to do electronic card sort studies.

  • WebCat
    The Web Category Analysis Tool (WebCAT) allows a web designer/usability engineer to test a proposed or existing categorisation scheme of a website to determine how well the categories and items are understood by users.

  • Web Sort
    WebSort is a online card sorting tool that allows participants to do card sorts remotely. At present, it produces
    files (.esd) that are compatible with IBM's EZCalc cluster analysis tool.

Prototyping

  • DENIM
    DENIM is a pen-based sketching tool for designing user interfaces. It combines many of the benefits of paper-based sketching with existing electronic prototyping tools. It allows designers to quickly sketch an interface using an electronic pad and stylus. DENIM preserves the important properties of pencil and paper: a rough drawing can be produced quickly and the medium is flexible. However, unlike a paper sketch, this electronic sketch is interactive and can easily be annotated and modified using editing gestures. DENIM allows the designer to extend the interactivity of the recognised widgets using storyboards.

  • SUEDE
    Speech-based user interfaces are growing in popularity. Unfortunately, the technology expertise required to build speech UIs precludes many individuals from participating in the speech interface design process. Furthermore, the time and knowledge costs of building even simple speech systems make it difficult for designers to iteratively design speech UIs. We have developed SUEDE, a speech interface prototyping tool allowing designers to rapidly create prompt/response speech interfaces.