LaVertis Newsome - CMS3710
Web site Analysis
Navigation & Usability
“Kevin Lynch coined the term “way finder” to describe his concept of environmental legibility – that is, the elements of the built environment that allows us to navigate successfully through complex spaces like cities and towns” (Site Structure). Navigation design is an essential element for any successful web site and is considered the road map of a site. If someone finds a web page confusing to navigate more than likely that person will give up, and explore other sites, never to return. Navigational menus are a key component of usability. If a user is unsure where to click, or which links lead to information, this can cause frustration. I am Second is user friendly, the links are visible and easy to understand. The main navigation menu is located at the top of the homepage; these links provide a path to important information (figure 1.2). I am Second uses an expandable menu located at the bottom of the home page (figure 1.3). These links include text, images and videos, and clearly state where they will take you. Steve Krug believes that “nothing important should ever be more than two clicks away,” or “Speak the user’s language,” or even “Be consistent” (Curtis 187). This theory is applied to I am Second’s web site; their links are consistent, clear and concise. The designer chose to use the language of its audience and customer, rather than the jargon or language of the organization.
Figure1.2
Figure1.3
Navigation menus and links play a vital role in navigating within a site and assist the user with locating important information. Today’s internet user has become accustomed to search options that they expect to find a search menu on every web page. “Users expect that any site of more than a few pages will have a search feature” (Interface). People choose to browse the menu list to locate important information, but most prefer entering keywords in a search box. Users can find these boxes in several locations within a page, the upper right hand corner, and scan columns located either on the left or right hand side of a page. Most search boxes are found at the top right corner of a web page. I am Second neglects the use of search boxes in their web design, instead they use links and navigational menus to direct its guest to important information. Without navigation, it would be difficult to explore a web site; a consistent navigational system will help users move from page to page within a site without trouble.
LaVertis Newsome
Clayton State University - CMS 3710
Updated: 29 April 2010