4.1 Provide effective navigation based on recognised conventions

View correlation with WAI checkpoints

Base your design around accepted layouts and standards. This means the user will not need to spend time working out how to use it. Simplicity is the key.

Be consistent with navigation across each page of the site
Provide a link back to the homepage from every page:
- e.g. logo at top left of page
Navigation menus:
- Use menu bars - make them distinct and recognisable from the content
- Provide feedback on menus:
  - Highlight current position
  - Disable links that just reload the same page
- Choose labels carefully - meaningful
In page links:
- Must be easily recognisable as links:
  - Blue underlined is the standard but can use appropriate variants
- Provide in appropriate places - do not make user go back to the menu when unnecessary:
  - Don't overdo
Avoid cascading menus
Ensure navigational links/menus can be accessed using keyboard as well as the mouse

Poor: Menu item for current page is active and indistinguishable from the rest

Good: Menu item for current page is not active and easily distinguishable from the rest - providing feedback

Provide links in their appropriate context do not make people search in menus

Poor: multiple nested (cascading) roll down menus

4.1 Provide effective navigation based on recognised conventions

Recommendations

Examples