Re: [Sigia-l] sitemap question

From: Listera (listera_at_rcn.com)
Date: Mon Jan 02 2006 - 15:43:14 EST

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• In reply to: Dinesh Nair: "[Sigia-l] sitemap question"
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Dinesh Nair:

> Consider, you have a web-based tool and users are
> having a hard time navigating to the web pages for
> performing a task.

Before I do anything, I'd ask myself if there isn't something I can do to
actually solve the problem (make it easier to perform the task) instead of
papering it over with "better" documentation/sitemap. For example:

> Task: Submit The Leave Request
> Nav Path: Home page > Web Forms > Create > Leave

If a particular task is performed often (like Leave Request), I'd ask myself
if I should place a direct link on the home page. Or if I should perhaps
group the top half dozen functions together. Or if I should abandon the page
oriented architecture for a task oriented one, thereby eliminating page
navigation altogether.

There's often something drastically wrong, if I have to manually type (long)
URLs from a printed document to decipher an online app's navigation.

> The reason why the users are facing navigation
> problems might be because of the numerous functions
> available with the tool.

That alone is almost never a legitimate excuse to not optimize the UI.

Are you prevented from actually redesigning the architecture/interface to
get rid of the root cause instead of these symptoms?

----
Ziya
"Innovate as a last resort."
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