Navigation

Navigation
-The user's primary form of interaction is navigating through the content. Navigation design is creating interfaces that help people understand where they are, where they can go, and how to get there.

-An [|Information flowchart] defines a product's structure, and once a flowchart exists, a lot of navigation design has already been done. The next step is to design the access routes between topics and the controls that users interact with. As a result of this process, the flowchart will probably change for the better.

-A product's main navigation screen (main menu or home page) is used the most as it is a gateway to the content. It is a good idea to simplify the main navigation screen so the page is not cluttered with items rarely used. The goal is to provide the simplest path between any two points in the product. This mean minimizing the number of travel steps, as well as the perceived difficulty, in getting from one place to another.

-A good navigation design will: media type="youtube" key="riussf7LW7g&rel=1" height="355"
 * Minimize Travel: create the simplest and shortest path between any two points
 * Minimize Depth: create a hierarchy with the fewest possible levels (extra levels mean extra travel stops)
 * Minimize Redundancy: avoid creating multiple paths to the same place from the same screen (this causes confusion about which to choose)

Navigation Link
 * Helpful Illustrations:**

http://www.mardiros.net/good-navigation.html http://www.max-hits.net/updates/c05a.html http://www.usa.gov/webcontent/usability/techniques/navigation.shtml
 * Helpful Websites:**

Laurel, Brenda. //Computers As Theatre.// New York, Reading, Mass: Addison-Wesley Publishing, 1991. Kristof, Ray. //Interactivity By Design: Creating & Communicating With New Media.// California: Adobe Press, 1995.
 * References:**