[Sigia-l] Site Map/Index - as Site Element

[Heather Hedden]

Katie and Lyle,

Site maps add value if they go down a level deeper than the navigation menu,
such as three levels instead of two.
But there is also no harm in having a site maps that duplicates a navigation
menu, when the navigation menu has pull-down secondary (or tertiary) menus
that can only be viewed one at a time. It's nice for the user to view/browse
all the menu items at once. Straight-forward site maps are easy to create,
so I really don't see any reason not to have them.

Site indices (which we have yet to define here) have additional features
beyond a site map. A site map is limited to one title/label per page. A site
index (especially a browsable A-Z index), on the other hand, can have
multiple entries, worded differently in anticipation of different users'
terms, that point all to the same page. An index also tends to be more
precise than a site map, such as having entries linked to anchors within
pages and not just the page itself.

As I see it, site indices are not alternatives to site maps, but are used in
addition to site maps. Site indices (whether A-Z or taxonomies) serve the
purpose of aiding searching, whereas site maps serve the purpose of
navigation. Printed materials, after all tend to have both tables of
contents and indices.

Heather Hedden
Web Indexing SIG Coordinator, American Society of Indexers
http://www.web-indexing.org

--------------------------------------
Hedden Information Management
Carlisle, MA
Heather at Hedden.net
http://www.Hedden-Information.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Lyle_Kantrovich at cargill.com>
To: <sigia-l at asis.org>
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 11:28 AM
Subject: RE: [Sigia-l] Site Map/Index - as Site Element


> Hey Katie,
>
> Here's my 2 cents:
>
> I don't think that site maps add a lot of value for most sites - they
> generally look like the same navigational items that already exist in a
> site's navigation (first and second levels), just laid out differently.
> They might help a bit if the visual and/or interaction design used on a
> site's navigation is a bit "too creative."
>
> I DO think site indices can add value. If done well, they can represent
> concepts in multiple ways.  E.g. let's say your site reflects a
> customer's way of viewing "the world" - a site index might include items
> that reflect the views (language) of suppliers, or employees, or
> media...
>
> Good site indices can be quite difficult to create.  The concept is
> simple, but creating one for a large site can be a lot more work than
> you'd think.