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Usability Foundations

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Architecture and Menus

2:43 with Dan Gorgone

Organizing content on a website is a vital part of usability, and no two sites are organized the same way. Anticipating user needs understanding how and where they will look for content.

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    Organizing content on a website is a very important part of usability. 0:00
    People have struggled for years trying to figure out how to arrange information 0:05
    with categories or tags or all kinds of different ways. 0:09
    But if we consider the user-centered design, we know that presenting information logically 0:13
    allows users a better chance to find it, thus helping them continue with their task. 0:18
    This means understanding them and anticipating their needs. 0:23
    A great real life example of navigation that provides great visual cues and usability is the supermarket. 0:27
    Each aisle has a large sign with numbers in sequential order 0:35
    and a list of important products found in each aisle. 0:39
    Without the products listed, shoppers would have no idea what was in each aisle. 0:43
    Take away the aisle number, it becomes even more difficult to give shoppers an exact location. 0:47
    Both pieces provide helpful data about the structure of the supermarket 0:53
    and location of each product. 0:58
    Most websites use the same concept by providing a main navigation bar, usually at the top. 1:00
    While website are not required to list every page or section, 1:07
    they should provide the most important areas of content. 1:11
    So, considering a user-centered approach can help determine what to list there. 1:14
    For example, the most popular content, products, or vital information 1:18
    is usually listed first. 1:23
    Understanding the mission of a site or app 1:25
    can usually give you clues about what to consider as the primary content. 1:28
    If you have historical data, looking at the most popular sections and pages 1:32
    or searches performed on your site might give you some clues, as well. 1:37
    While no 2 sites have the same main menu bar, 1:42
    they very often include similar choices, 1:45
    including products and services, an about page to give background info, 1:48
    perhaps a help section and a contact page. 1:53
    Stores usually have a section to help users find locations. 1:56
    Designers usually have a portfolio or a client list. 2:00
    If you're designing an app, think about where you're going to provide access to a settings menu or help screen, 2:04
    especially something requiring complex directions. 2:11
    In both cases, you're probably going to provide a spot 2:14
    where people can log in to access personalized content. 2:17
    If you're unclear about what to include in the menu of your own site or app, 2:21
    it's helpful to check out your competitors 2:26
    and see if you can spot any patterns to give you some clues. 2:28
    Quite often, the choices made across an industry, or group of similar apps and sites, 2:32
    can show what your target users consider to be important navigation options. 2:37

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