Navigation allows reader to find the content they
want by moving through a Web site using classification links. It should be
designed in a simple, clear, consistent, and functional manner -- like a traffic
light, not a neon light.
"Navigation" comes from two Latin
words: navies and agree. According to the
Merriam-Webster dictionary, the general meaning of "navigate" is
"to steer a course through a medium... to get around, move... to make
one's way over or through to operate or control the course of."
It is a mistake to design Web navigation as if it
were a neon light. The objective of navigation should never be flashy. The job
of navigation is not to grab attention. Rather, navigation design is about creating
clear and consistent signs. Readers turn to navigation when they want to get
somewhere on the site. First and foremost, they want something that is
functional and informative.
A traffic light system is clear and consistent.
It uses three colors: red, amber, and green. And it uses them in a consistent
order: red first, amber in the middle, green at the end. I have yet to hear
anyone complain traffic lights are boring and should change their design.
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