Components of a navigation system
I just received the book browse Hypermedia: a user-oriented approach (so good that if I do reserve the submarine will not buy) and, as was waiting anxiously, I could not resist and already began to read. Early in the book, drew my attention to setting clear and objective components of a navigation system, I mean, the definition and description of the "basic characteristics" as a navigation system (in the context of this blog, read: web Web sites and systems in general) should have to be efficient.
These components of a navigation system, according to the authors of the book, work in an integrated and interdependent and thus a whole can be considered a system. I mean, the components that comprise a navigation system mutually interact with each other to form a "whole" greater, and provide the characteristics and peculiarities necessary for a person can interact with this system efficiently.
The 6 components of a generic navigation system
The components of navigation systems are:
- Clickable areas. These components of navigation systems allow people to select items or press through a pointing device (in this case, the mouse). For example, traditionally and as a matter of usability, the links appear (at least, should) underlined.
- Mechanisms to identify areas clickable. They allow people who use navigation systems to more easily identify the elements clickable. For example, when passing the mouse cursor over a button, it changes color or gets bordinhas serrated.
- Indicators of location. Responsibility for the state who uses the navigation system their exact location within this system, in which position to tell the "whole" he is right now. Must show where "node" system of the person is and what the navigation she has from that point.
- Tools to aid navigation. Evidence which uses the navigation system hipermidiático access to information so differently to the "node-year". If a person is "lost" or confused about their current location within the system, these are the tools that assist and help to refocus and return to a "known route" (eg menus, search, favorites).
- Tools retronavegação. As its name indicates, these tools help said the person who uses a navigation system to return to one or more nodes of navigation recent (or not so recent) without having to access exactly the links you used to get to your current position. As an example: "Back" button on browsers and breadcumbs ( "crumb").
- Feedback. It is a feature of navigation systems to maintain those using them informed about actions, operations and movements that happen / happened / happen, or, in the words of the authors of accurate navigation in Hypermedia, reporting on a change of status of the system. As examples, they cite the changing of colors on links visited (although there are exceptions), bars of loading and messages that inform what actions were carried out successfully or that a mistake happened.
His project has all elements needed?
Actually, I already knew these features the navigation systems hipermidiáticos of my studies on human-machine interaction. What caught my attention was the simple and objective manner with which they were placed in the book of Stephania Padovani and Dinara Moura.
You, developer, stay tuned and analyze the Web sites and online systems that you and / or participate and make sure all these elements are present. Lack of only one of them makes the "whole" is shorn and experience of the person who browses is incomplete. Consider all your projects, including those already completed and examine whether these characteristics of a good navigation system are there.
It is important for you to develop a quality system and, more importantly, when you have in mind that, in fact, those who come undermined by the lack of one of these components is the person who is "the other side of the system", I mean , Who uses!
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