Exercise : Interaction Design (Navigation)

EXERCISE : INTERACTION DESIGN (NAVIGATION)

1) What is effective navigation in web design

· Navigation is a key component of a website, relating directly to its success. Also known as a button bar, website navigation is the gateway into the different sections of content, and there are some general rules to follow to design it effectively.

· It is important to augment user’s familiarity and interest on that particular site. It is the entry way to access various sections of the site.

· Besides that, the effective navigation is putting up good navigation on your Web sites allows your readers to easily find their way around.

2) How I can create an effective navigation system for my web site?

There are several steps that use to make an effective navigation system:

a) Don't Make your Users Guess

- It is sometimes necessary to spoon feed your visitors with information. Make careful decisions as to where your navigation is placed, and make it stand out.

b) Keep it high

- Consider your pages have a title in the top of the website, and keep the significant information, including the navigation, as high up as possible. Not only will this mean the navigation will load first in the user's browser, but it also 'hits' the user faster.

c) Below the Banners

- Although it might be tempting, don't place any navigation elements above your banner ads.

d) Consistency is Key

- On each and every page of your site, whether it's your forums, your links page, or anywhere else, locate your navigation in the same place, with the same styles, and don't change anything! This way, your users know exactly where to look for it.

e) Don't be Adventurous

- It's always good to see your site stand out from the crowd, but please, when it comes to navigation, try and blend in with the rest of the flock. This way, regular Internet users will be used to your method of navigation to some degree

f) Add a 'Home' Button

- Home page is the most important page on your site, so make sure your users always know how to get back to it.

g) Keep it Fast

- Optimize your images, your HTML and your style sheets to ensure everything loads as fast as possible.

h) Quality, not Quantity

- Use subsections and subcategories with appropriate navigation to enable users to quickly locate the specific content they want.

i) Netscape isn't Dead

- Remember, people use other Web browsers and resolutions to the ones you use. Check your site's navigation in all possible browsers and resolutions before you launch. This way you can spot miss-alignments and errors your fancy JavaScript code before anyone else does, sparing you a great deal of embarrassment in the future.

j) Leave Out the Unimportant Stuff

- Links such as 'Contact Us' and 'Privacy Policy' are best left out of your Website's main navigation. The most common place for these to go is at the bottom of the page.

3) Discuss about this statement (Orientation):

· In order to navigate effectively, users need to know where they are in the context of the overall site structure. One way to help users orient themselves is by reinforcing placement, or position.

There are several things you should consider in deciding on your navigation design:

a) Accessible

- The navigation of your site is possibly the most important part of any given page. So it should be as accessible as you can make it. This means avoiding special effects like Flash, Java, or JavaScript as your only navigation method.

b) Meaningful

- Keep your navigation meaningful. Make the links clear - don't try to get cute or use terms that are internal to your organization. Someone who has never been to your site before should know immediately where the link will take them.

c) Understandable

- If you want to use images for your navigation, make sure that there is some text associated with them. " Mystery Meat Navigation" is the use of non-descriptive images as navigation, and it's much more common than you might think.

d) Prevalent

- Your navigation should appear on every page of your site. While you don't need to have identical navigation, the basic structure should be the same throughout the site, with changes used only to indicate location within the hierarchy.

· How you can help user orient themselves in your website?

o Ensure an appropriate navigation preparation before designing

o Navigation should be uniform throughout the site

o Site map should be made to facilitate the users in their search

o There should be flexibility in navigation in terms of providing space for extra links

o For large number of links, one should use fly outs or drop down menus

o Main links should be always kept together so that they are easier for the users.

o Navigation space should be used proficiently.