What do you need from Navigation?
-
Every page must answer basic questions
-
Where am I?
-
Where do I want to be?
- Clear structure
- Good naming scheme
- From the user perspective
-
How do I get there?
- Links to other top-level parts of the site
- Links to Site Map/Contents pages
- Links in a consistent location and format
-
Where else can I go from here?
- Make the options clear
- Make it obvious when a link leaves your site
- Lead your users down a logical path
-
Provide the user with a "story board" - a clear path to follow
-
But don't assume that they will follow it
-
So try to keep content context-free
-
If you rely on content in another page - link to it!
-
Breadcrumbs
-
Tell you where you are relative to the top level of the site
-
Let you travel back up the chain easily
-
Have a small footprint
-
Navigation Bars -
text
-
Tell you the main categories on the site
-
Should tell you which one you're on
-
Can give some of the same information as breadcrumbs (when arranged
hierarchically)
-
Contain more information
-
Resizeable fonts
-
Have a larger footprint
-
Navigation Bars -
Buttons
-
As above - but fonts not resizeable
-
Should always use alt tags
-
Site Maps
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Last Resort Navigation
-
Must be easily located from anywhere in the site
-
Quick way to find out what a site covers
-
Need a very clear and logical structure
-
David Suzuki Foundation
-
Hierarchical list of topics
-
Too long to be viewed all at once
-
Probably better broken into expandable links
-
Hierarchy doesn't match topic list on the navigation bar
-
Some elements repeated
-
Australian Conservation Foundation
-
Clear structure
-
Good breakdown of topics
-
Organised by user needs
-
Some information accessible multiple ways
-
Depends on users' perspective
-
Balance between provision of information and good use of space
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2005