Philosophy * Menus & Toolbars * Frames * Prettiness vs. Functionality
Philosophy: Let the User have Control
The Web has vast quantities of information, and users have limited time. Your site may be wonderful, unique and worthy of complete exploration, but your users may be in a hurry and looking for specific information. Give them the option to follow the guided tour, or to drill down immediately to what they want to see. A main index, toolbars on every page, and if applicable a local search interface will help make your site navigable and efficient..
Menus and Toolbars
Probably the most important navigation tool is a consistent menu on each page. At the least, each page should link back to a home page with a complete index. Otherwise, the user can get into a sub-area where all the links go to files in group A, later get into a separate sub-area where all the links to go files in group B, and never be able to find that one page he was looking at last week... Even if you change your page contents regularly, a practice recommended by many marketing gurus, try to keep some consistency in the menu structure so that repeat users are on familiar ground.
Toolbars may be graphical or text, imagemaps or separate files, and simple text or table format. What are the relative merits of each?
Type Advantages Disadvantages Sample Separate Images with ALT text Works in all browsers, even Lynx; can intersperse text with images. Easy to indicate which is the current page. Only simple linear or stacked toolbars possible See top of this document Imagemap, Client Side or Server Side Imaginative toolbars of any shape and orientation are possible Not supported by all browsers: Netscape 1.1 for Server-side, 2.0 for Client-side. Note, Client-side imagemaps are work faster and are easier to make Table-formated Loads fast, flexible format Requires Netscape 1.1 or above
Main Menu Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Simple Text Easy to create, works in ALL browsers No fancy formatting Main Menu * Option 1 * Option 2 * Option 3 Frames: Blessing or Curse?
Frames allow you to divide the main browser window into sections, each with separate contents and behaviour. A click on a link in one frame may cause new information to appear in the same area, or another area of the screen. Frames can quickly become confusing if used haphazardly. Each link may be targeted independently, and each new URL loaded may contain different targets, making it impossible for the user to predict what will happen next.To keep some feeling of stability, use frames sparingly and with specific purpose. Dividing a screen into a left and right side, with a stable table of contents on the left that always causes new pages to load on the right, it perhaps the clearest use for frames. Keeping a fixed toolbar and search screen always available to the user, but able to be moved out of the way, is also a good application for them. Here is a simple example that demonstrates both of these concepts.
Frames have many possible uses, and even more possible abuses. Generally they are most useful when a large amount of indexed information needs to be accessed. Always keep in mind that the user needs to feel in control, and should be able to get to any particular screen at will.
Prettiness versus Functionality
Think of your home page as the index page of a magazine, not its cover. Graphic impact is important, but ease of use and an inviting feel are equally or more so. The reason is simple: the cover of a magazine invites a reader to pick it up off the table, but once a user it at your home page, they have already "picked up" your site. Now, you want them to like what they have found and stay.This is not to say you should avoid graphics or make a "plain" site. Use attractive, meaningful graphics that add function. A consistent graphical toolbar or selection of icons help the user feel on familiar ground and navigate without effort. Pleasant, unintrusive backgrounds also help identify the site and provide a familiar "feel". Clever animations may entertain and draw attention to points you want to make, only be careful that they do not distract when you want the user to read the text.