Navigational Tools

Navigational Tools

When designing a website, a web designer must develop and create an effective way of navigating his or her website. When doing this job, the web designer must keep the principle of compensation in mind. According to authors Killingsworth and Gilbertson “in every revision of a text, something is lost and something is gained” (45). Using this principle of compensation, a web designer must realize the consequences for choosing a picture, icon, or text to represent links on his or her web page. For each one there are advantages and drawbacks, which if weighed or balanced properly can enhance that web designer’s page. Human beings by nature are visually oriented; therefore, the web designer should find a satisfactory medium between the use and placement of either text or graphics. According to Brad Bachetti in his response “Creating a Roadmap”, “ If both text and graphics are used to represent the button, it is visually appealing to keep the text and graphics of equal width. This is exemplified on the main page of the WebCT course page” (Bachetti). If we take a look at the WebCT course page, we will find this to be true. The WebCT course page also exemplifies the principle of compensation. The pictures that accompany the text not only compliment each other in width and size, but also enhance each other. Together the pictures and text convey better meaning then they would if they stood alone, thus allowing for easy navigation on the course page.

Sometimes though a web designer may only want to use a picture, icon, or text to represent a link or navigational tool on a website. According to Principles of Web Design, by David and Jean Farkas, “Links must make clear their destinations the page that the link will display” (209). Using this simple principle put forth by the authors, a web designer may encounter problems when dealing with pictures and icons to represent links or navigational tools. According to Farkas, “to design links that will communicate their destination clearly, you need to think about your audience and their information needs” (Farkas 209). A picture and icon may have different connative or denotative meanings for people of a different age, gender, race, or nationality. That being stated icons and pictures have some significant advantages over text links. For example, a familiar one is processed faster, icons communicate across languages and cultures, they are visually interesting, and they often save space (Farkas 211).