Section 7.2. Gray Matters

7.2. Gray Matters

The design of navigation systems takes us deep into the gray area between information architecture, interaction design, information design, visual design, and usability engineering, all of which we might classify under the umbrella of user experience design.

As soon as we start talking about global, local, and contextual navigation, we find ourselves on the slippery slope that connects strategy, structure, design, and implementation. Does the local navigation bar work best at the top of the page, or is it better running down the left side? Should we use pull-downs, pop-ups, or cascading menus to reduce the required number of clicks? Will users ever notice gray links? Isn't it better to use the blue/red link color convention?

For better or for worse, information architects are often drawn into these debates, and we are sometimes responsible for making these decisions. We could try to draw a clear line in the sand, and argue that effective navigation is simply the manifestation of a well-organized system. Or we could abdicate responsibility and leave the interface to designers.

But we won't. In the real world, the boundaries are fuzzy and the lines get crossed every day. Information architects do design and designers do information architecture. And the best solutions often result from the biggest debates. While not always possible, interdisciplinary collaboration is the ideal, and collaboration works best when each of the experts understands something about the other areas of expertise.

So in this chapter, we roll up our sleeves, cross lines, step on toes, and get a little messy in the process. We tackle navigation design from the information architect's perspective. But before we drag you deep into this swampy gray matter, let us throw you a lifeline. In the Appendix, we have included references to a few truly excellent books that cover these topics from a variety of perspectives. We encourage you to read them all!