In this chapter the author talks about navigation. In a real space, such as a store, signs are hung from the ceiling to direct customers to different sections. In virtual space, such as the web, directions are even more important because “we’re inherently lost when we’re on the web due to no sense of location, direction or scale.” Web designers can do this by using navigation. Done correctly, navigation is the only direction you’ll need. “Link-dominant users” (aka: browsers) need clear navigation, without it they may get frustrated and leave the site or never come back again.
Designers should embrace web conventions. The basic elements of web conventions are: site ID (logo); sections (top level of hierarchy and subsections); utilities (help, about us); home and search. The site ID usually appears in the upper left corner and should have attributes of a brand logo – distinctive typeface and graphic. The utilities section should be less prominent than the other navigation. Home can be viewed as a fresh start or the North Star; it allows the user to return should they get lost. A way to search allows the “search-dominant user” (aka: the person who asks for help when they enter a store) to find their information directly.
Other vital information to include in navigation is page names, “you are here,” and breadcrumbs. Page names are like street signs on the web. They should use several visual cues: highlight, change color, frame and match the content, and they should be in the right place. “You Are Here” shows the user where they are. It can be displayed in the navigation bar or at the top of the page by putting a pointer next to it, changing the text color, use boldface, reverse the button, or change the color of the button. Lastly, breadcrumbs are the turn-by-turn directions on a website. Breadcrumbs should be at the top of the page in small type. It shows the user how they got there by displaying each levels, or sections and subsections, generally divided by the greater than symbol >.
To test if a site has good navigation, try the trunk test. Imagine being blindfolded in a trunk and then released at some point in a web site. If the site is well designed, the following questions should be answered without hesitation:
1. What site is this? Site ID
2. What page am I on? Page name
3. What are the major sections of this site? Sections
4. What are my options at this level? Local navigation
5. Where am I in the scheme of things? “You Are Here”
6. How can I search? Search button
Three related links to this chapter’s subject:
Jakob Nielsen’s, “Search and You May Find”
Iain Barker, “What is Information Architecture?”; Step Two Designs
Whitney Hess, “10 Most Common Misconceptions about User Experience Design”; Mashable
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