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Posted by dorayme on 05/15/06 07:38
In article <e471vd$orr$1@online.de>,
"Greg N." <yodel_dodel@yahoo.com> wrote:
> dorayme wrote:
>
> > Think if it is really all that useful to have so much of the
> > navigation right there and then.
>
> You're right for the majority of sites.
>
> Yet I find "complete" menus (either simple or with drop down expansion)
> convenient on sites that I visit frequently. On these sites, I prefer
> not to plough through a series of pages to get where I need to go.
>
> --
> Gregor mit dem Motorrad auf Reisen:
> http://hothaus.de/greg-tour/
And yes, it is understandable that you find such convenient.
There is some tension between designing for newcomers and
designing for frequent visitors. We all wrestle with this one!
There is no general answer to this. What is very convenient for
the one, can confuse and delay others. Newcomers can simply get
caught up in these menus and be puzzled or confused. They can try
to satisfy cursory curiosities, go direct to something 3 or 4
deep and then get lost no matter the breadcrumb trail
(breadcrumbs are not magic keys to appreciation when you don't
know your way about; but better than not having them). They would
better appreciate what is what by the slower more logical route.
The big problem for newcomers boils down to the links not having
a lot of meaning unless the context is understood.
So, first thing to do especially with dropdowns is give as much
meaning as possible to what the link is about. Choice of words is
important. But then again, the tension surfaces: the idea of the
dropdown is for neatness and space conservation. If the link text
is meaningful at the cost of being less than very brief, it
tramples on the raison d'tre for the dropdown.
--
dorayme
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