1. Interface Design CGS2826 Web Design Program in Interdisciplinary Computing Florida State University From Web Style Guide, Chapter 4: Interface Design

2. Users of web documents don’t just look at information, they interact with it in novel ways that have no precedents in paper document design; therefore, web designers must be versed in the art and science of interface design.

3. Wayfinding The elements of the built environment that allow us to navigate successfully through complex spaces like cities, towns, and the Web.

6. Paths & Breadcrumbs

7. In large sites users should be able to readily see when they have passed important regional boundaries. If all the pages look identical, it’s hard to tell where you are within a large site.

8. As pages get more complex, offering many choices, you risk overwhelming the user with the “Times Square effect” of too many competing visual stimuli.

10. Interface Design

11. User interface research shows that about half of web users prefer to browse through menu lists of links to find information, and the other half will go straight to the search box to enter keywords for search. Supporting both navigation paradigms is important to user interface design.

12. Multiple and complementary “you are here” markers help users stay oriented in complex sites. These landmark and wayfinding elements are especially important to users who navigate by searching - who may never even see your home page .

13. For sites larger than a few pages, provide search on every page. Be sure to define the scope of the search, ie. the site, the department, the entire organization, the entire Web?

15. AVOID PAGES

16. MINIMIZE STEPS Users prefer a few pages of carefully organized choices over many layers of oversimplified menu pages

20. “ Folder tabs” are ideal when your site has relatively few (five to seven) major navigation categories. Semantically, header navigation lists should always be marked up as html lists, even if what appears on the page looks more like a collection of folder tab graphics.

21. Information Design

24. Enterprise interface programs have three primary aims: coherence, symbolism, and positioning. The Enterprise Interface