Navigation Systems

• Global navigation
  5 to 7 links representing the most important areas of the site
  Global Navigation sits at the top and remains consistent throughout the site.
  
• Local navigation
  Contains subpages
  Nav rail must have a colored bkg to set it aside from content.
  
• "Yellow Fever" style
  The left-hand justified navigation rail was introduced by CNET in 96.
  Forces a mouse from the scroll side and user stays a moment longer.
  Emphasizes the links.
  
• Right hand justified
  Conducive to speed and ease of use.
  Content is easier to view.
  
• Ad hoc links
  Ad-hoc’s are links in the middle of text.
  Limit your use of ad-hoc linkage.
  If possible put them at the end of the paragraph like footnotes instead.
  
• Navigation aids
  Table of contents
  Index
  Site map
  A guided tour
  Searching capabilities (always on sites of over 100 pages)
  Bibliography
  Appendices
  Overviews
  Summaries
  
• Image Map navigation 
  it’s not obvious where to click
  it’s not obvious what has already been clicked
  They are not extensible.
  hard to modify on a regular basis.
  you should include a text link list anyway
  no navigation at all if the images are turned off
  no navigation at all if a text based browser visits
  search engine bots need text to spider
  
• Navigation Tabs
  Tabs are for switching between alternate views of the same thing.
  I.e..
  Description | Overview | History | Statistics | photos
  
• Breadcrumb navigation
  Breadcrumb navigation is used on structures that get deep.
  It only works for sites with hierarchical information.
  It allows one to climb a tree quickly
  Lets a user know where they are
  Example:
  home > cartoons > scooby-doo > guest appearances
  : > / and arrows are all equally good.
  Do not use yet another symbol.
  The vertical bar | is reserved for alternative choices.
  
• Footer navigation
  Global Links
  email link
  If there is a good reason add any of these:
  Copyright info
  Date the page was created
  Date the page was modified
  Company slogan
  Physical address
  Telephone Number