Online Navigation
Web navigation is one of the main features to consider when designing a website. It covers the way in which we move from page to page and link to link when online. In order to create a successful site, it should be made easy and simple for users to find their way around. A complex navigation will only cause a negative effect on its users; they won’t stay on the page very long if they are confused by the layout, but will be drawn more into the website if they can roam around the website simply, as they will feel more welcomed by its ease of access, which in turn could lead to better business for the company.
If we were to imagine a website with utterly terrible navigation, we would picture something along the lines of Yvette’s website (shown above). I, personally, wouldn’t have a clue where to click if I wanted certain information, mainly because I’d be blinded by this overly chaotic design, and I would proceed to leave the site immediately. You can see the ugliness in this homepage comes strictly from the mess and disorganisation. The colour palette does not compliment itself and the typeface used comes in about 23 different sizes throughout the page. There’s no sign of headings either, so how will the user know where to click even if the use of colours and type weren’t so overwhelming.
We have analysed an example of bad navigation design, which will result in very negative overall business, but what about an example of perhaps excellent navigation design?
Whilst researching a number of websites, I found one to really stand out in terms of good navigation design. Pinterest is a popular website among a wide variety of audiences, that generates many ideas and photographic inspirations that users can ‘pin’ to their profile in order to save for future viewing. You can see it is filled with bold colours that compliment one another. It is effective to have a unified colour palette so that the overall look is easy on user’s eyes.
In terms of navigation, we have everything we need in order to find ourselves around this website. If you were to visit this website, you would most likely be in search of some artistic inspiration, and as soon as you click onto Pinterest, that is exactly what you get. There are only seven icons to choose from located at the top of the page; the search-bar, the homepage, who you’re following, your profile, messages, notifications and settings. From my research so far, I’ve come to believe that a menu only needs 6-7 categories in order for it to appear more aesthetically pleasing and undemanding on the eyes. Each of these options can and do have sub-categories linked to them, which I also believe will make the page more effective as it will still come across as neat, while having more added information, as the info is hidden within the main categories.
The headings are represented even more clearly by use of bold and clean icons, which are further brought forward by an effective use of visual hierarchy; white spacing around them. White spaces around text-boxes actually helps users to understand what is being said on your website much more clearly, probably because it’s giving them a chance to breathe while judging your website. By using this method you can also increase the comprehension by about 20% and therefore easily navigate your users around the different parts of your website. This will come in handy when it comes to making certain parts of my website stand out, such as the ‘Call to Action’ section.
If you weren’t to give much space to your webdesign elements, you would make the creation seem too heavy and cluttered, thus resulting in losing a balance and attractive composition. Although saying this, too much spacing around said elements could cause them to lose relationships with each other on the page, so it’s crucial to find the right balance.
Another big factor to consider when designing a website is having footers at the bottom of your page. It’s good to have this function so that you can add essential information that your users can access in a speedy way, such as contact details, social media links, employment opportunities — it promotes and widens your business! You must take caution however, as there’s a thin line between a substantial amount of information and an overloaded amount of information — you don’t want your users to get lost within all the information you have provided, and have them not able to find the answer they seek and therefore leaving the page.
Throughout my research I have gained perspective on the importance of good navigation and how detrimental a part it plays in terms of a website’s business success.
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