At the same time, lack of alpha order is a greatsign that you need to
take a look at what the order actually is. As much as half the time
(18 years of software QA), no intentional has been applied at all.
You're right that the #1 priority should be first, but only if such
can be determined. And the real problem isn't that #1 isn't first but
that the order after that isn't clear. If #4-6 aren't clearly
orderable (by the user!), then having #1 followed by a jumble likely
doesn't give value. They find what they want quickly 25% of the time
but have to struggle for the rest --> bad experience.
The advantage of alpha order us that is that while nothing is easier
to find, nothing is harder, either.
-- Jim
Via my iPhone
On Feb 4, 2009, at 10:19 AM, Rob Pearson <[email protected]> wrote:
As I understand it, the context of the question is site nav.
Alphabetically arranged site nav is one of the things I look for in
an expert review as a sign that someone hasn't put enough thought
into users' priorities.
I like to see harmony between users' priorities, the order of links
in the nav, and the positioning of elements in the visual hierarchy
of the page: Your #1 user priority should be the first link in the
nav and be supported by the prime element page.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Posted from the new ixda.org
http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=38149
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