In my field of study I am directly involved with web design. Knowing how to organize content and navigation is key to providing an optimal user experience. In my experience, usability is (or should be) the prime target when building a website. In his presentation which incorporated details from Chapter 1 of Designing Web Navigation: Optimizing the User Experience by James Kalbach, Matthew Marco highlighted many important tips to improve navigation. Though it is important to keep in mind the target audience when designing navigation, the following factors generally apply across the board to all websites.
Consistency and Visibility:
This would be my number one suggestion above all others. Users should never have to search for navigation or guess which page they are on. It should be very clearly displayed in the same place so that users always know where to refer back to in order to navigate through the website.
Clear Labels and Specific Categories:
Users shouldn't have to think too much about where links will take them. If categories are too vague it takes users longer to find what they are looking for. When I was taking Web Design at Surry Community College, the website was in the process of being completely redesigned. During this process our class was given access to the site before it went live in order to test it for usability and provide feedback to the designer. In doing so, I learned about the "three-click rule". The three-click rule implies that a user should be able to find any piece of information without clicking more than three times. The idea behind this rule reinforces concepts mentioned in Chapter 1. If users become frustrated trying to find information they may leave with a bad impression of credibility and friendliness.
Reflect the Content:
Kalabach refers to this as the "aboutness" of a site. In other words by scanning the navigation list users should be able to determine what the website is about and what it is for. This concept should be kept in mind when labeling navigation as mentioned above.
Test and Proofread:
Navigation with spelling errors and abbreviations may throw off users and therefore influence the credibility of the website. Labels should be double check for mistakes to prevent this. Navigation should also be tested to be sure that there is no unexpected behavior, broken links, or incorrect redirects.
Evaluations:
If you visit her website you'll learn that Millie is a freelance graphic & web designer based in Sydney. I would rate her website very high in terms of user friendliness. To begin, her navigation is very clearly labeled and visible on the top right side of every page. The tone of her wording is very inviting as demonstrated by labels such as "Say Hi" to represent her contact page. She uses vibrant colors that imply that she is energetic and enthusiastic about her work. This choice of color and wording will be especially attractive to younger users, yet the overall design of her site still represents her professionalism.
Dana Nicole is a freelance designer that I follow on Instagram. She is a freelance graphic and web designer from Canada, but based in Denmark. Her navigation is also clearly displayed and labeled at the top of each page. She uses a combination of links that redirect to other pages of her site, as well as links that simply scroll you down the page to a specific section such as "Services". While I would personally be hesitant to combine this approach for fear of confusing some users, I believe this is perfectly acceptable and does not detract from the friendliness or credibility of her website. Her labels clearly describe where the navigation links will take you and provide an overall idea of what her website is about. Like Millie, by using the label "Services" users should automatically infer that her website represents her brand or business.