Guide to Web
Design
Navigation
There is only one
navigational goal: Let visitors quickly and easily find whatever it is they’re
looking for on your site.
A navigational
system that's easy to understand has to answer four questions.
1.
Where am I? Your visitors should always know where they are in your site and
how this location relates to the home page. It's their point of reference.
2.
Where have I been? Yes, graphic links are popular, but you can't look at a button that
says, “About This Site” and know whether you've clicked it before or not.
You have to rely on your memory. One reason for using text links is that if
you've set them up correctly, they change color once a user clicks them —
a nice visual cue that most Web users are familiar with.
3.
Where can I
go next?
4.
Where's the
Home Page?
Navigation must
be simple and consistent.
Take a look
at this mess! Teacher Express. And another example of terrible
navigation
Common mistakes
include different types of navigation on the same site, a link to the current
page on the current page (home page link on home page), and poorly worded
links so the visitor doesn't know where he'll go if he clicks, no links back
to the home page, and confusing links to the home page.
Really. What
visitors care about is solving their problems. Most people visit a web site
to solve one or more of these four problems:
A web site is
about solving your customers' problems and meeting their needs.
File Size and Contrast
Physically reduce
the file size of your graphics
Don't use unnecessary
music files and cut down the file size of the page.
Make sure there's enough contrast between the
text and the background. Make your text readable. Here’s an example of poor
contrast (Xerox)
Check your site
in different browsers (this tip is good for any site) and tighten up the white
space.
Focus
Tone down the
graphics
Eliminate unnecessary design items. Here’s an
example of a bad design. Gates and Fences
Here’s an example
of a flashing, blinking nightmare! Car Leasing. And another!! Accept Jesus
Finally
- some more examples of truly BAD sites