Day 9 Navigation Heuristic evaluation

Objectives  Look at some simple rules on navigation  Introduction to Heuristic Evaluation

Remember Grice and Norman  In software, button labels, links, and other interface elements are the signs that help us find our destination  Too many signs can be as confusing as no signs at all

The aim of the designer  Allow users to access any part of the software from any point with a minimum of signs or directions and in the fewest number of clicks or keystrokes as possible (efficiently)  But remember effectively and satisfaction

The essentials of navigation  When designing, remember that users need signs that identify where they are signs that tell them what is available controls that initiate actions  Beware! The first of these is often forgotten

Signs that identify where we are  Signs help orient users, confirming that they have reached the proper destination or made the intended selection (remember Norman)  Examples of signs that help screen titles colouring/highlighting of menu item we are on breadcrumbs

Signs that tell us what is available  Examples pushbutton labels the text of hyperlinks other labels, such as tooltips

Controls that initiate actions  Examples pushbuttons links list boxes drop down menus

Two primary methods of organisation  Categorisation or Search  Research by a group called “User Interface Engineering” showed: in a study of online shoppers, most preferred to search by category some ignored the search function entirely some used the search function only as a last resort

Categorisation  Categories must be well thought-out, considering both the items and the audience  When a user selects a major category, the subcategories for that category should be displayed  Consistency will allow users to instantly select a different major category or subcategory without having to search for the appropriate menu

Search  Examples text boxes (allowing simple search) text boxes (allowing complex search) boxes allowing selection of features

Positioning of navigational elements  Position the menus consistently on each page of the site  Left or right side menus?  The left side is almost a defacto standard now Thus some people may “tune out” the right side as an ad  But a recent study suggested that locating menus vertically along the right side was more usable than on the left it depends on the language

Using tabs  Use tabs to organise related items at the same peer level  Apply the tab metaphor thoroughly and consistently  Confine tabs to one row only

Compare this …

with this …

but …

More creative navigation  Navigation systems can creatively match the style of the site or software  For some sites, fun is added by the sense of discovery you get when you click on any item within the system  Design firms take the risks with navigation design that some “standard” sites cannot  Don’t let your creative tendencies overcome your common sense. As always, let users try your design at an early stage, and observe their reactions

Don’t use mystery navigation

A few simple rules  Make it easy for users to figure out where they are  Make it clear what the options are and how to select them  Deliver the content you promise when the user makes a selection  Always provide an easy means for users to change their mind  Try to anticipate and follow your audience’s mental model  Test the navigation on real users

A reading  Read the Levi and Conrad paper: A Heuristic Evaluation of a World Wide Web Prototype (see the link on the day 9 webpage)