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

[Lyle_Kantrovich at cargill.com]

Heather, Thanks for further defining what makes an index.  

On site maps, you said:
"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"

and "Straight-forward site maps are easy to create, so I really don't 
see any reason not to have them."

Of course, it's not about how easy something is to create, but rather if 
it really adds any value, and I still have to assert that a site map 
usually adds little value.  The "harm" a site map does is that it adds 
clutter...it's evidence of "featuritis."  Why should I need to see 3 
levels of navigation...shouldn't one or two levels work if they are 
designed well?  My observations of users tell me that they usually only 
resort to the site map if the navigation labels make no sense to 
them...hoping they'll see more levels and find one of their trigger 
words buried amongst the non-sensical links from the main and secondary 
nav.

Take the Microsoft Site Map for example (sorry MS folks).  What value 
does it provide over the home page?   If it's a better way to navigate 
than the home page, why isn't it the home page?  
http://www.microsoft.com/library/toolbar/3.0/sitemap/en-us.mspx

How about the GM Site Map?  http://www.gm.com/sitemap/

Can anyone think of a great site map example that really helps very many 
users?

I think site maps are often used as a yet another panacea by design 
teams that include them (along with search engines and indices) thinking 
they will solve any problems users have with the main navigation.  Where 
they become a panacea is when teams decide not to evaluate their designs 
or measure results, just trusting those features to cure whatever ails 
their site visitors.  

Think about it, what user task would ideally involve using a site map?  
I can think of examples for search (and indices), but not site maps.

I WILL concede that site maps might help in one respect: with search 
engine marketing - by loading up one page with a whole bunch of related 
keywords.  So site maps may help non-human users more than human ones 
(and by association, potentially help the marketers, business and users 
looking for the site).

Regards,

Lyle

----
Lyle Kantrovich
User Experience Architect
Cargill 
http://www.cargill.com/

Croc O' Lyle - Personal Commentary on usability, information 
architecture and design.
http://crocolyle.blogspot.com/