| Interaction Design: Navigation |

Effective navigation provides enough location information (Orientation) to let users answer the following question:

1. Where am I? - let the user know their current page

2. Where have I been? - let the user know where they have been

3. Where can I go? – let users know where they are in relation to the rest of the website

4. How do I get there? – provide consistent, easy to understand link

5. How do I get back to where I started? – provide alternatives to the browser’s back button to let users return to their starting point.

Example:

Where am I ?

1. Precise location on the web: URLs

- Though the URL can specifically identify a location, the information isn’t always useful to the user

- Don’t hide URLs unless you want to control entry points

2. Page and Site labels

- Make sure labels stand out from navigation and clearly identify the page

3. Page and site style and location

- You can differentiate individual pages from each other using visual cues

Where Can I go?

- Provide links to other pages the user can visit

- Keep in mind that choices that are not immediately visible (such as pull down menus or off screen) will not be obvious to the user