Web Navigation Presentation

Basic WebNavigation

Navigation: Getting the user from A to (where you want them to) B.

For users:1. Find stuff they want

2. Get an overview of what’s

on the site

3. See where they are

4. See where they can go

For site owners:1. Drive people to action points

2. Cross-sell services or highlight

additional information

3. Show what is/isn’t available

4. Be found on Google

Role of navigation…

• Why the navigation is there (its role)

• Who will be using it

• Where they want to go

• What YOU want them to do

• How you will manage it (CMS etc)

Choosing a navigation style

The Structural-Browser Model

• The Family-Tree model

• Creates a clear hierarchy of content

• Collection of links advance the user to other pages

Horizontal Navigation


• Conserves the most amount of

screen space

• Makes for using drop downs for

secondary navigation

• Location most familiar for users,

we read left to right

• Does have a limit in terms of

length of navigation item


Vertical Navigation

Vertical Navigation

• Good for sites with a lot of

main navigation items

• Supports multiple types of

secondary navigation

• Can act as a page design

element

• Normally takes up more space

then horizontal navigation

Vertical Navigation

Secondary Navigation

Secondary Navigation

• Common location for displaying

B-level pages

• Moves out of the way when not

active to conserver screen space

• Don’t rely on more then 2 levels

of pop-out/drop down menus

• Design enough contrast with the

information below so the user

can clearly read the text

Utility Navigation

Utility Navigation

• Assistant pages

• Pages that don’t fit into a single

logical category

• Location/Language selectors

• Shopping Cart/User login info

• Pages that you want displayed on

every page

Footer Links

Footer Links

• Provides a place for important

information away from other content

• Acts as a visual “End” to your page

• Allows users to access pages without

scrolling back to the top

• Can be styled as multiple columns

Breadcrumb Trails

Breadcrumb Trails

• Convenient for users

• Reduces clicks to return to higher- level pages

• Doesn’t usually hog screen space

• Don’t use when you don’t need to

• Don’t use as primary navigation

• Don’t use when pages have multiple categories

Search Boxes

Search Boxes

• Not every website needs a search box

• The box must be clearly visible, quickly recognizable and easy to use

• A search box should be a box.

• A search box should be simple

• Don’t make the input field too short

• Don’t making the submit button too small

Pagination Navigation

Pagination Navigation

• Provide large clickable areas

• Identify the current page

• Space out page links

• Provide Previous and Next links

• Use First and Last links

• Put First and Last links on the outside

• Give the user a sense of volume

The Golden Rules of WebNavigation.

1. Don’t make the user think



2. Don’t test user patience




3. Focus their attention





4. Organize your content






5. Use natural descriptions







6. Strive for Simplicity







6. Strive for Simplicity

7. Embrace whitespace







6. Strive for simplicity

7. Embrace whitespace

8. Don’t assume