Better Practice Checklist - 2. Website Navigation

May 2004 (organisational details updated January 2008)

Introduction

Australian Government departments and agencies have developed a range of websites and intranets that provide information and services. With an increasing amount of information and services available online, good information architecture and ease of navigation (the way in which users move about the resources on the website) become increasingly important.

A key role of the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO), Department of Finance and Deregulation is to identify and promote 'Better Practice'. This checklist has been created to help agencies to make their websites easier for users to navigate.

The checklist suggests that a number of navigation issues should be considered when designing sites, but the items in the checklist are not mandatory. They have been provided as a guide to help agencies to consider the user's experience of their web resources and enhance the effectiveness of their websites and intranets.

The checklist is intended to be a guide to staff responsible for websites and intranets, as well as for online content creation and presentation. Other managers may also find the checklist useful in dealing with contractors, or where this function is otherwise outsourced. The checklist focuses on non-technical issues.

It should be noted that the checklist is not intended to be comprehensive. Rather, it highlights key issues for agencies. The checklist is iterative and draws on the expertise and experience of practitioners. The subject matter and issues are reviewed and updated to reflect developments.

Download PDF of Checklist 2 - Website Navigation [ - 282 KB]

Acknowledgments

Originally published by the National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE) in 2001 (Version 1), and updated in 2002, (Version 2), this checklist was revised in 2004 with assistance from Australian Government agencies.

What is navigation?

Navigation is both the representation of the information architecture (the structure) of a site, and the mechanism by which users move around the site.

Good navigation allows users to easily answer the following questions for every page of the site:

What site am I on?
Where am I in the site?
What can I do here?
Where can I go to from here?
Where is the information I'm looking for?

A variety of navigation types are used throughout a site. The most common navigation types include:

Global navigation. This is persistent across the entire site and usually allows easy access to major parts of the site.
Local navigation. This allows people to move around in the part of the site that they are currently in.
Contextual navigation. This links together related pages and is often embodied as links within text or lists of 'see also' links.
Supplemental navigation. This comprises additional navigation tools such as site maps, indexes and guides.

Navigation is tied closely to information architecture. Better Practice Checklist 15, Information Architecture for Websites includes significant information about preparing an information architecture before designing navigation.

Summary of Checkpoints

check box Consider the Australian Government's guidance on 'consistent user experience'

check box Ensure that users can determine what site they are on

check box Ensure that users can tell where they are in the site

check box Ensure that users can tell where to go next

check box Provide several options for finding information

check box Apply consistent navigation methods throughout the site

check box Use text rather than graphics for navigation elements

check box Describe text links effectively

check box Avoid pop-up windows or new browser windows

check box Consider the use of frames carefully

check box Ensure that navigational schemes and elements are accessible to people with disabilities and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Checkpoints

check box Consider the Australian Government's guidance on 'consistent user experience'

Guidance on 'consistent user experience' has been developed as part of the implementation of the Australian Government Design for the online environment. It suggests a basis for departments and agencies to embark on developing a 'consistent user experience' across Australian Government websites, and provides assistance for agencies wishing to incorporate consistent navigation elements and legal statements into their websites. In particular, guidance is provided on:

the use of common utility navigation elements and legal statements such as Home, About, Contact Us, Search, Privacy, Copyright and Disclaimer
the presentation of a logically structured approach to web page content
the placement of navigation elements in the masthead and the foot of a web page.

Further details on 'consistent user experience' are available at webpublishing.agimo.gov.au/Consistent_User_Experience []

check box Ensure that users can determine what site they are on

Users do not always enter a website via the home page. They may have followed a link from another site or a search engine.

Both visual brand and navigation show users what site they are on. A logo and agency name or website name appearing in a consistent location throughout the site, plus supporting navigation, will help achieve this.

check box Ensure that users can tell where they are in the website

Knowing where they are in the website helps users to understand the context of the information they are reading and to move around the site.

Users can be shown where they are in the site:

by changing the colour (or some other visual indicator) of the navigation tool that represents the part of the site that they are in
through 'breadcrumb trails' - a breadcrumb trail is often represented as Home > Level 2 > Level 3 > contents page.

check box Ensure that users can tell where to go next

Users rarely visit a website for one small piece of information. They are more often looking for a range of information to answer a question or complete a task.

Navigation should be designed so that users know where to go after they have found a page. For example, users may move:

higher in the site hierarchy to gain a broader view
deeper into the site to get more detail
to related information within the site or on other sites.

check box Provide several options for finding information

Because users approach information on a website differently, agencies should provide users with a variety of ways to get to information. Examples include:

embedded links
a site map, giving an overall view of the site
A-Z indexes
a search facility (more information is available in Better Practice 16, Implementing an Effective Website Search Facility)
guided tours or tutorials
links to related information.

check box Apply consistent navigation methods throughout the site

It is easier for users to use a website if the site uses consistent navigation methods, icons and graphics. Placing these in the same location on each web page also helps make the site more navigable. Ensuring that pages have a consistent look and feel will make it easier for users to navigate each page they access as they will have 'learnt' how the site operates.

Presenting site menus in a logical way improves ease of navigation. Sites should have a simple top-level menu hierarchy, composed of top-level site pages and services. Below this, in a logical sense, sub-menus should branch out in a consistent manner.

check box Use text rather than graphics for navigation elements

When designing navigation, be aware that graphical navigation items such as icons and images take longer to load than text items. Using text also improves accessibility and is easier to maintain.

If graphical navigation items are used, 'alt' text will also need to be included. Also consider using the same item on each page so that the graphics can be stored and easily retrieved, thereby reducing the download time.

When using text links within content, ensure that it is clear to users what text is clickable.

check box Describe text links effectively

Text links within content should be described well. In most cases, a text link should have the same title as the page it is linking to. Avoid using 'Click here' as a link, and describe where the user is going instead.

check box Avoid pop-up windows or new browser windows

Opening new browser windows can be confusing to many people and is particularly difficult for people using assistive technologies. Many people install software that blocks pop-up windows, and some browsers block them automatically.

There are some examples where it is useful to open a pop-up window, particularly to display help on a page so that the user can still reference the original page.

check box Consider the use of frames carefully

Some sites still use frames as a way to keep navigation on the screen when users scroll the page. However, frames can make it difficult to print or bookmark a page.

check box Ensure that navigational schemes and elements are accessible to people with disabilities and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

All web resources should be accessible to people with disabilities, and agencies are required to ensure that their websites are consistent with the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (www.w3.org/tr/wai-webcontent []).

Agencies should also consider providing navigational elements that address access and equity issues for users from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Further information is available in Better Practice Checklist 19, Access and Equity Issues for Websites.

Other Better Practice Checklists

This checklist is one in two series of Better Practice Checklists.

Download PDF of Checklist 2 - Website Navigation [ - 282 KB]

Contact for information on this page: AGIMO Better Practice Team

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