Re: [IxDA Discuss] Questions as navigation labels
Rebecca, I think it depends on what kind of page you are having them. You could use if it is a support/help page. At first, users should be familiar with the question (understandability comes first) in order to continue reading the answer paragraphs. Just for example - in your case, consider users who do not even know what the word 'cars' are to further read about how they are made. Rather you could mention it in an informative tone - simple labels here. If it is something that users often tend to ask and hear for an answer type, then it is good to use there. As mentioned before, in a help and support page. They would not work (again for example) on a 'about' page of a person. Questions would then sound like About me?, My phone number? My house address? My favourite things?.. etc would not sound appropriate. Hope this helps! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44466 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Questions as navigation labels
Hi, Rebecca. Jakob says you're only allowed 11 charactersg. See http://www.useit.com/alertbox/nanocontent.html Alternatively, have you thought of card sorting to see what terms users volunteer for group names? An open card sort on websort.net would be fairly quick and inexpensive. Regards, William Hudson Syntagm Ltd Design for Usability UK 01235-522859 World +44-1235-522859 US Toll Free 1-866-SYNTAGM mailto:william.hud...@syntagm.co.uk http://www.syntagm.co.uk skype:williamhudsonskype Syntagm is a limited company registered in England and Wales (1985). Registered number: 1895345. Registered office: 10 Oxford Road, Abingdon OX14 2DS. Confused about dates in interaction design? See our new study (free): http://www.syntagm.co.uk/design/datesstudy.htm 12 UK mobile phone e-commerce sites compared! Buy the report: http://www.syntagm.co.uk/design/uxbench.shtml Courses in card sorting and Ajax interaction design. London, Las Vegas and Berlin: http://www.syntagm.co.uk/design/csadvances.shtml http://www.syntagm.co.uk/design/ajaxdesign.shtml -Original Message- From: new-boun...@ixda.org [mailto:new-boun...@ixda.org] On Behalf Of Rebecca Whitfield Sent: 10 August 2009 5:37 AM To: disc...@ixda.org Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Questions as navigation labels ... Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Questions as navigation labels
Rebecca, I'm with you. No need to raise questions with the labels. My approach to labels is simply maintain consistency across them. you can use all your labels together to suggest your categorization/taxonomy, approach, etc. So if nouns, use nouns, if verbs, verbs, phrases, then phrases. People can get what it is you're doing pretty quickly -- just be consistent. (Mix things up in sidebars or w/ supplemental nav) adrian A current issue is using questions as navigation labels e.g. How are cars made?. I think that this adds unnecessary complexity, and feels awkward. I would rather a label like 'Making cars' or 'How cars are made'. Does anyone have any experience or research indicating whether questions are suitable or not in navigational labels? Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] Questions as navigation labels
Reeves and Nass have done some research that shows that people treat computers as if they were people. If you agree with their research, then you have to think about what sort of discourse the computer is having with the person. Using questions as links seems to parrot the query back to the user, rather than answer their question or lead them to their goal. At its worst, there the questions that a company prays people are going to ask, and aren't related to any question a user actually has. (BTW - The Reeves and Nass research is in the book The Media Equation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=44466 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
