You’ve probably heard the term, but what does it mean? Here is a quick guide to AJAX and how it impacts interaction designers.
Ajax (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is not one technology, but a term to describe the combination of a few techniques and technologies that are used to create interactive web pages and browser-based applications. Ajax removes the need for a webpage to refresh each time it exchanges data with the server, allowing the user to interact with an application’s front-end while its backend is asynchronously retrieving data based on the user input.
What does this mean for an Interaction Designer? While the technology is constantly evolving, the concept that it represents – rich, browser-based interactivity – is important to understand when designing interaction and usability. Ajax enables a level of interactivity that is often difficult to represent as a series of wireframes. Different elements on a page can move or change the way they look and feel without loading what seems like a new page to the user. Wireframes that detail all possible states or, better yet, prototyping is often necessary to communicate more complicated interactivity. Functional prototyping has also become increasingly useful, as the abstraction between a static wireframe and rich, interactive functionality has widened with Ajax. It may be necessary to actually implement ideas and test them to see how usable they are. Furthermore, usability designers need to have an even better understanding of backend and database functionality and be conscious of load times and latency. Understanding when to use Ajax is as much knowing what the technology makes possible and what limitations exist as much as designing the richest experience.
There are other issues with employing Ajax in certain situations. An important thing to consider is that SEO can be affected if content is hidden or changing. Another issue is that browser variations can make certain techniques difficult to implement. Also, a small-percentage of users may not have JavaScript enabled on their web browsers, rendering all Ajax elements effectively useless. There are workarounds for most issues, but it may become necessary to design two or even three versions of a website: full-featured Ajax, a paired-down experience, and a default version for users without JavaScript enabled or for mobile devices.