[Sigia-l] sitemap question

[Biswa Dutta Jena]

It seems like there are two things you are focusing on.

1. Document help
2. Site map (Dedicated navigational help)

These are good help to be provided from a developer's prospective. But 
from a user prospective these two these two things are added burden. 
Look what you said

----

Task: Submit The Leave Request
Nav Path: Home page > Web Forms > Create > Leave

----
If you see the task, let this task is in user's mind. Words like 
"Submit", "Leave" and "Request" are going to be the possible hints that 
you need to provide on the user interface. Compound words like "Leave 
Request" or "Apply for Leave" will help. Check your navigation that says 
Home Page > Web Forms > Create > Leave. Only the last word is talking 
about "Leave" and at fourth level in the hierarchy. Just think, why 
someone will click on Create to see Leave? On the Home Page, you can 
create a LEAVE area that will not only going to allow the user to apply 
for a leave but also going to let the user see number of leaves 
available, Leave status, Pending leaves, etc. In IA it is known as 
"Information Scent" and that will help the user in finding what he/she 
needs.

The third point, I think, is most important to focus on, is the TAXONOMY 
and then you may find above two helps not required anymore (if provided, 
will be additional help).


BD



< http://www.boxesandarrows.com/suggestion/view/2409 >



Dinesh Nair wrote:
> To clarify:
>
> 1. The navigation links exist for one related page to
> another page or multiple related pages. 
>
> 2. Navigation paths for all the user tasks do not
> exist in one single page. So if you reach Create page,
> you can see Create Employee and Create Leave Request
> links, but you cannot see an Approve Leave Request
> link.
>
> The problem area is: Is it worth organizing all the
> tasks with the related nav paths in the user guide,
> for example:
>
> Task: Submit The Leave Request
> Nav Path: Home page > Web Forms > Create > Leave
>
> Including navigation paths in documentation might also
> involve business costs due to translation. 
>
> OR
>
> Will a sitemap (that lists all the links for all the
> tasks in a page) prove more helpful for the user?
>
>
> --- Biswa Dutta Jena <bd at faceeffect.com> wrote:
>
>   
>> It is a good practice to put navigational links to
>> related web pages 
>> when related information is being displayed
>> somewhere else. When someone 
>> is accessing some information, the data remains
>> fresh in the mind and a 
>> navigational link provides a great help if presented
>> with the data.
>>
>>     
>> Regards,
>>
>> *Biswa Dutta Jena*
>> FaceEffect.com <http://www.faceeffect.com>
>>
>>     
>
>
>
> 	
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-- 
Regards,

*Biswa Dutta Jena*
FaceEffect.com <http://www.faceeffect.com>