[Sigia-l] Re: Navigation Systems

[Todd Levy]

>Is anyone aware of any work (books, blogs, papers, etc) done on Navigation
>Systems and their classification? I'm thinking of things similar to the
>Polar Bear's (2nd ed) chapter 7 - but with either more detail or different
>viewpoints?



I tend to align my thinking with the breakdown here...

<URL: http://argus-acia.com/white_papers/analysts.pdf >

...extensively quoted and repurposed below.

TL



Global Navigation
--------------------------------------------
Global navigation allows access to the major content areas, and the most 
important tools and features offered on the site, such as login, search, 
help, supplemental navigation and the shopping cart. Global navigation 
should be persistent and consistent across the entire site.

How
Global navigation is often presented as graphical links at the top of the 
page, but it can also include textual links or appear on either side of the 
page. Sites with graphical global navigation at the top of the page often 
repeat the links as text at the bottom of the page, as a way to meet 
accessibility guidelines.

Why
Global navigation is important because it provides branding and helps users 
set the boundaries for a site.


Local Navigation
--------------------------------------------
Local navigation allows users to browse within a content area, such as 
products or services. E-commerce sites often use local navigation users to 
see the product hierarchy or classification. Local navigation often provides 
links to the “local home page” of a section and “sibling pages” (i.e., pages 
on the same level of the hierarchy). Local navigation should be consistent 
within an area, but it may vary from area to area.

How
Local navigation is often presented as graphical or textual links in the 
left-most column of a Web page. Like global navigation, it can also use 
position indicators to show users where they are in relation to the other 
content that is near-by. It is important that the local navigation reflect 
the needs of the current section, while working in a consistent manner so 
users do not have to learn a new system for each area of the site.

Why
Local navigation is necessary when an area is important, complicated, or 
contains a lot of content. Well-done local navigation can keep users from 
having to “pogo stick” back and forth from an index page to all of its 
lower-level pages by making all of the options available from every page.


Contextual Navigation
--------------------------------------------
Contextual navigation allows users to browse among related content spread 
out across the site. E-commerce sites often use contextual navigation for 
such purposes as cross-selling, up-selling, comparison and coordination 
shopping. On information-driven sites, it could be links to related content 
such as articles and other Web sites.

How
Contextual navigation is often presented as graphical or textual links that 
are adjacent to the primary content area of a Web page. Contextual 
navigation is conventionally labeled in a way that suggests why it is 
important to the user. For example, a list a page detailing a particular 
movie may introduce a column of contextual navigation to list similar movies 
and links to pages for each actor.

Why
Contextual navigation shows users information they may not have thought to 
look for on their own.


Supplemental Navigation
--------------------------------------------
Supplemental navigation such as site maps, tables of content, indexes and 
guides give users a way to navigate a site without having to drill down 
through the primary hierarchy.

How
Typically, each type of supplemental navigation is presented on one or more 
dedicated Web pages. Site indexes and table of contents are regularly 
presented as simple textual outlines. Site maps range from text only to 
exploratory multimedia interfaces. Guides can take the form of tours, demos, 
and tailored content aggregation pages.

Why
Supplemental navigation is most useful when it gives users with a specific 
goal direct access to what they need. But supplemental navigation can also 
provide an overview of the site, allowing users to feel more comfortable 
with what is (and is not) there.

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