Navigation in Web applications

Web users frequently get lost because applications have a model of navigation that is different from what they are used to. These differences cause confusion. To overcome the problem, designers have to adapt familiar design rules to the Web. This paper discusses some of these problems and how to avoid them in designing Web applications and Web sites. It is based on observations during usability testing, design, and writing projects. The focus is on applications, with which users perform actions, rather than informational sites, which exist to inform. (There is a lot of overlap—for example, the task of signing up for a mailing list while at an information site. The guidelines in this paper can apply to any type of site.)