- Searching
- Browsing
- Choosing
- Chatting
- Downloading
- Moving Forward & Backward
These six terms
are action terms, or verbs. When users enter a site, they perform tasks. They
are there to find something whether it's a product, service, entertainment, or
information about any of these things. [1]
A simple chart
illustrating the concept:
Minimize FRUSTRATION,
CONFUSION, and DISAPPOINTMENT for users when mapping users' paths to and from
any object (e.g. product, service, entertainment feature, body of information,
or simply the information about any of these goals). [1]
Ask Yourself:
- Where is The John
Young Museum of Art?
- How do I find
The John Young Museum of Art?
- Once there, how
do I get back to home?
The next time you
take a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood or shopping mall, try carrying
a compass, a pencil, and some paper to map your course.
Take notice of
landmarks (e.g. building names, trees, parking lots) that will demarcate your
position in relation to your destination. This exercise will help you get a feel
for what it means to orienteer yourself as a user in a physical space like the
Web. Take kids along and have fun.
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References
Flemming, Jennifer.
Web Navigation: Designing the User Experience. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly
& Associates, Inc. 1998.
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