Hot Text Ch 10: Write Menus That Mean Something
Simplify, Simplify...
Use the same heading text everywhere: in head, in header, in links, in breadcrumbs, in search results Keep it simple, so viewers don't have to think too much. Easier said than done when applying to our websites!
Organize...
Heads should be very specific to the content. Organize the topic hierarchy in the most logical way possible. Group and ungroup. Check and double-check. Use parallel construction. Unlike in the last chapter, I find myself wondering if I can be successful in meeting these demands.
The 20 questions I need to ask myself are logical, but it's a long list! Eliminate duplicates. Establish importance. Annotate topics. Adding missing topics. Delete irrelevant topics. Replace ambiguous topics. Reduce topics to components and create new subtopics. Group related topics. Sequence activities. Verify! Rewrite! Confirm completeness!
Teach...
Headings need to inform and lead—the viewer may need help deciding where to go. Group topics in levels, but not too deep! Let users see several levels at once. Use multiple routes to the same information. Make up shortcut lists and lists of See Also links (our Project 2, page 6!). Create menus in multiple perspectives. Different people think differently!
My head is spinning...
Good Sites
Here are some sites I use that I think are well organized:
The Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU).
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. I especially love the way the cursor lands right in the search field when you open the site, which saves a step. And, yes, apparently the name is mispelled in the URL(!)
All About Jazz. Despite the flashing features—hey, it's a music site!
Use the same heading text everywhere: in head, in header, in links, in breadcrumbs, in search results Keep it simple, so viewers don't have to think too much. Easier said than done when applying to our websites!
Organize...
Heads should be very specific to the content. Organize the topic hierarchy in the most logical way possible. Group and ungroup. Check and double-check. Use parallel construction. Unlike in the last chapter, I find myself wondering if I can be successful in meeting these demands.
The 20 questions I need to ask myself are logical, but it's a long list! Eliminate duplicates. Establish importance. Annotate topics. Adding missing topics. Delete irrelevant topics. Replace ambiguous topics. Reduce topics to components and create new subtopics. Group related topics. Sequence activities. Verify! Rewrite! Confirm completeness!
Teach...
Headings need to inform and lead—the viewer may need help deciding where to go. Group topics in levels, but not too deep! Let users see several levels at once. Use multiple routes to the same information. Make up shortcut lists and lists of See Also links (our Project 2, page 6!). Create menus in multiple perspectives. Different people think differently!
My head is spinning...
Good Sites
Here are some sites I use that I think are well organized:
The Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU).
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. I especially love the way the cursor lands right in the search field when you open the site, which saves a step. And, yes, apparently the name is mispelled in the URL(!)
All About Jazz. Despite the flashing features—hey, it's a music site!
posted by Carpe Diem at 9:30 PM
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