Chapter 11: Navigation and Inflection

Navigation is excise

Navigation is number one problem in the design of any software application or system.

Types of Navigation:
-between multiple windows or screens
-between panes within a window, or frames
-between tools or menus in a pane
-within information in a pane or frame (scrolling, panning, zooming, links)

Improving Navigation
-reduce the number of places to go
-provide signposts (persistent objects)
-provide overviews (e. g. breadcrumbs)
-provide appropriate mapping of controls (knobs on a gas stove, example of bad mapping)
-inflect your interface to match user needs
-avoid hierarchies

Commensurate effort - people will willing work harder for something that is more valuable to get.
Organize controls based on frequency of use (how often), degree of dislocation (sudden change in interface), and degree of exposure (irreversible or dangerous ramifications).