Overly subtle indication of the user's current location. The
navigation bar itself should highlight the current section, but
instead, a cute icon (a fish) serves this function.
Here's a nice example [below] of highlighting the user's current location
on the site. Although the link colors are not completely standard
(which requires blue for unvisited links), the color scheme still
helps users understand where they have been. In this example, the
user has already visited the "introduction" page as well as the
"portfolio" section of the site.
Pull-down menus like the one called "site navigation" in this
screen cause many usability problems because users can't see the
full set of choices without having to take explicit action. I
prefer having a small enough set of global navigation options
that they can be shown at all times. Another problem with this
site is the very small and non-standard placement of the company
name.
This product page provides an interesting example of local
navigation in the form of see-also links to similar products
under the heading "Quick Compare." Too frequently, web navigation
operates on the assumption that users will go directly to the
exact destination they need. In fact, users will often arrive at
something that is approximately right, but not exactly right.
Without local navigation to similar products, users then have no
choice but to start all over again and hope for better results
next time.
The Quick Compare feature in this example could have been
improved with an indication of the underlying navigation
dimensions that cause the products to be different. In other
words, help users understand why and under what conditions they
might be interested in the various other products. Listing the
price provides one such dimension (if you can't afford the
current product, then it's easy to find a cheaper one), but it is
not clear what the other main differences are among the products.
I could imagine that one printer might be the one to click on if
you need color and another might be the choice if you print a lot
of copies every day, but with the current design, users don't
know-nor get any help in deciding-what direction to move in if
they want to leave the current page.
