When developing navigation for Web sites and other multimedia, it is important to consider the preferences of your users, as well as the different navigation methods available to you. When doing this, start by asking yourself the following questions:
    1. What do my users need or want to know?
    2. What are they trying to do or find?
    3. What text, pictures, sound, or motion pictures do they want to use to learn about the "who, what, when, where, and why" of people, places, events, and things.
    4. How do they want to find them?
    5. Find out what users need to navigate to. What are they trying to do or find?

One method of navigation is spatial navigation. Spatial navigation means using visual representations of objects in space to discriminate among choices. Spatial representations can be either two or three dimensional, and pictorial or symbolic.

Maps, plans, and elevations are examples of two dimensional spatial navigation. Surrogate travel is an example of three dimensional spatial navigation (Hoffman, 1999).

Suppose, for example, the user were looking for railroad museums specific areas of California. An image map could allow the user to scan the state, then click on the link of the city they were interested in visiting. The image would allow the user to directly access the link without having to resort to some an additional method of navigation.

Example of an image map

Visual representations can be an important part of a successful Web site. When designing a website, follow the guide above to help determine if an image map or other navigation aid may be most appropriate for the user.

Natalie Mingura
Graduate Student
SDSU Educational Technology