Reduce Information Overload
After people have started to seriously investigate a site to determine if it meets their information needs, they will be interested in completing their tasks as efficiently and effectively as possible. The overall visual structure and page organization of your information is what people depend on to help them successfully locate and use information. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Have I clearly stated the goal of my site?
- Are the main ideas easily distinguishable from the supportive ones?
- Have I used a thoughtful balance of text, graphics, and links for my audience?
- Have I anticipated the expectations of my audience?
Examples
Text, Graphics, and Links: Careful Balance
Williams-Sonoma's site makes use of a brief Flash movie to help users remember the purpose of their site:
- To provide information for people who like to cook.
- The three sections with smaller graphics and brief text links easily distinguish main topics for users.
- Specific information on outdoor grilling or gift ideas for Father's Day and summer weddings, are easily located.
- Anticipating users needs is well-done on this site.
Text, Graphics, and Links: Careful Balance
In contrast, the World Wide Consortium uses no pictures, only text and links with the strategic placement of their logo to help their specialized audience of Web designers and developers handle the huge amount of information available on their site. This site caters to busy professionls who need to find, understand, and apply information that is constantly being updated.
- The New Visitors link meets the needs of a specific audience.
- The New Visitors page is a perfect example of how many experts advise presenting and arranging a page with huge amounts of information.
- The main ideas are defined by headings in the middle column.
- The two side areas are devoted to support information.
- I found the information I was looking for on the left "Getting Started with HTML."