Various mechanisms come together within a web site to form a comprehensive navigation system, with each unit in the system playing a different role. Some access the main categories of the site. Others offer links to related pages throughout a site. Some links might provide access to useful features for the site itself, such as site search and help. When designing your system, keep the three main categories of navigation in mind:
Structural navigation provides access to content following the structure of a web site and includes the main navigation and local navigation.
Associative navigation links across levels of a hierarchy, creating semantic relationships between related pieces of content. Contextual navigation and quick links are examples.
Utility navigation accesses information about the site itself or site functions and may include global utility options, such as "help" and "search," as well as extra-site navigation and tools.
The way the different types of navigation are arranged on the page plays a large role in how visitors will perceive and use them. The purpose of a navigation type should be clear and obvious for a more efficient interaction. For instance, links in a navigation bar across the top are expected to lead to main category pages. Designing against such expectations can lead to problems in orientation and navigation. For a more detailed discussion of page layout, see Chapter 9.
The function of navigation mechanisms is also determined by the type of page on which it appears. As you work, remember the three primary page types:
Navigational pages are stepping stones in information seeking; they point people to content or functional pages. Examples include the home page, landing pages, and gallery pages.
Content pages contain text, articles, and images. Product pages on e-commerce sites, for example, are content pages.
Functional pages allow visitors to complete a task of some kind online; examples of these pages include search forms, data entry forms, and web applications.
Finally, for an overall flow that makes sense within a site, each page should also have a primary purpose. You will largely be determining the purpose of pages in the Architecture phase, discussed in Chapter 8.
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