TEmelie - web design blog

The importance of good navigation
Try to imagine that your Web page is like a city were people come to visit different locations. Like in real life accurate navigation is the key to getting people to where they want to go. If the browsers can’t navigate easily through your site, they will most likely leave in a hurry. But before you start putting g up “road signs”, there are a couple of interesting things you should check out first.

The first thing you should sort put is the architecture of your site, also known as taxonomy. In order to do a good job you should have a clear picture in your head about the way your site should be structured like.
Here are a couple of structural elements find on corporate or personal Web sites:
For corporate or business pages:
- Products – it’s important that people can get a good idea about what you are all

- About – contains specific information about your company
- Investor relations - contains in information existent or future investors may find
interesting;
- Help and support – provides help for your customers

For personal pages:
- About me – an introduction about yourself that you think might interest
people;
- Favorite links – links that you like or consider interesting
- Friends and family – this one I think it’s self-explanatory

After you’ve decided how your site will be structured like you can move on to the next step which is organizing it. A good way to achieve great results at this particular point is by thinking like your customers. Try putting yourself in their shoes: imagine how they would like to navigate through your page and what information they would expect to find in different locations. Flow charts and storyboards can help you create a great map through which you encourage visitors to use the site in a particular way.

OK! Now it’s time to get busy. Your navigation design is the most important aspect of your Web page. What’s the point of having a great page filled with interesting information if nobody can navigate through it? In order for you to avoid that here are a couple of things worth knowing:
Access - In order to keep it simple and friendly don’t use Flash, Java or JavaScript as your only navigation method.
Meaning – Keep things simple and serious. Inside jokes aren’t the way to go. If
someone visits your Web page for the first time they should know immediately where a specific link will take so keep the links simple and explicit.
Understanding – if you want to use pictures for your navigation, make sure that there is some text associated to them.
Presence – it’s no use having great navigation if it’s not present on every single page of your Web site. The only changes you should make in the way you navigate are those that are used to indicate the page’s position in relation with hierarchy of the site.

Finally, after you’ve designed your navigation start using it. If you have a change of heart in the middle of the construction, don’t be stupid and start modifying everything. Finish the job and then wait for a week or two. After this if you still want to make the changes go ahead but make sure that they fit the overall taxonomy of the site and your original idea.