In-context navigation was the earliest form of interactivity, and is still enormously effective. The use of hypertext links (words within content that are links to another page) is arguably the most intuitive way to move around sites, particularly those that are very content-rich.
Hypertext links create problems too, and many sites that use hyperlinks in addition to their main navigation system fail to address the ease with which a customer can get lost. They also run the risk of taking customers on a parallel path when you would have benefited more from them staying where they were.
Everything we've covered so far addresses quite mechanical means of navigation: things you click on to go somewhere else. But, as in more traditional communication materials like books, visual-language-based methods play a crucial part in making customers feel positive about your site and, by consequence, your brand.
At the lowest levels of content, visual navigation is essential. Well designed pages will help customers determine what are the most important elements on a page, where to look for different types of information, and so on. Often this is achieved with well conceived page layouts alone, using a balance of structure and visual hierarchy to ensure that pages are viewed in the way you want them to be.
Never under-estimate the value of really high quality page layout combined with a well-designed visual language: together they can ensure that almost any page is visually navigable.
Sometimes, however, additional visual devices can be used to assist customers and clarify the role of each element of a page.
Iconography is the most common, adding additional emphasis to items on the page and visually labelling items in different places, or different contexts as 'the same thing'. The simple addition of a consistently-used icon to denote a link to related information will help customers notice it and understand what it means, for example.
Icons can act as valuable visual guides, but they should be used carefully: an icon for everything is more confusing than no icons at all. Also, aside from the navigation issues, for some brands iconography may be appropriate, whereas for others it may be completely wrong and may weaken the brand.
This level of navigation thinking is so often missing from websites today: most assume that if there is a logical site structure and menu system in place, customers will follow an appropriate path through the site and read the pages they reach.
In our view, this is simply not good enough. Whatever the brand, a navigation scheme that works at all levels is essential, and applying deeper thinking to how customers navigate at all levels is among the most important activities for any redesign project.
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