Designing Web Navigation

SUMMARY

Various mechanisms come together within a web site to form a comprehensive navigation system, with each unit in the system playing a different role. Some access the main categories of the site. Others offer links to related pages throughout a site. Some links might provide access to useful features for the site itself, such as site search and help. When designing your system, keep the three main categories of navigation in mind:

• Structural navigation provides access to content following the structure of a web site and includes the main navigation and local navigation.

• Associative navigation links across levels of a hierarchy, creating semantic relationships between related pieces of content. Contextual navigation and quick links are examples.

• Utility navigation accesses information about the site itself or site functions and may include global utility options, such as "help" and "search," as well as extra-site navigation and tools.

The way the different types of navigation are arranged on the page plays a large role in how visitors will perceive and use them. The purpose of a navigation type should be clear and obvious for a more efficient interaction. For instance, links in a navigation bar across the top are expected to lead to main category pages. Designing against such expectations can lead to problems in orientation and navigation. For a more detailed discussion of page layout, see Chapter 9.

The function of navigation mechanisms is also determined by the type of page on ...