Thank you Jessica. Your clarification is correct :) 2008/6/6 Jessica Enders <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> I agree with most of the comments in response to this query but thought I > would clarify one part of what Steve said, namely that: "breadcrumbs ... > represent the content pathway the user followed to reach their current > page". > > I misread this sentence initially and so others may too. I thought Steve > was saying that breadcrumbs represent the pathway of pages the user moved > through to get to their current page. But what I think he's actually saying > is that they represent the location of the current page within the site > hierarchy. This latter type of crumb is useful because it gives you a sense > of context; the former type of crumb is unnecessary because you have the > "back" button. > > Cheers > > Jessica Enders > Director > Formulate Information Design > ---------------------------------------- > http://formulate.com.au > ---------------------------------------- > Phone: (02) 6116 8765 > Fax: (02) 8456 5916 > PO Box 5108 > Braddon ACT 2612 > ---------------------------------------- > > On 06/06/2008, at 6:58 PM, Steve Baty wrote: > > Lib, >> >> Breadcrumbs fall into that category of IA component that hurts no-one, and >> helps some people some of the time, which generally makes them worthwhile. >> However, breadcrumbs should serve a specific purpose, that being: to >> represent the content pathway the user followed to reach their current page. >> If your site (overall) is structured the same way as your organisation, then >> the breadcrumbs you've described serve their purpose (although the >> convention is that each node in the breadcrumb be a link, other than the >> current page). >> >> From what I can see, however, the intent of this device is not to act as a >> breadcrumb trail in the navigational sense, but is, in fact, a method for >> communicating organisational structure. That should be a different >> conversation, and its one that is likely going to come down to 'Company >> convention dictates' - end of discussion. >> >> I have some concerns about the potential for confusing users who would >> visually associate this device with a navigational mechanism, so an >> alternate visual treatment (especially the choice of the > delimiter) might >> be in order. >> >> Otherwise, the general consensus amongst the IA community is that >> breadcrumbs don't hurt, and they might help. >> >> Regards >> Steve >> >> 2008/6/6 libwebdev <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: >> Hi folks, >> >> My organisation manages around 7000+ pages for 100s of departments, >> using a CMS. Mine is the only department outside the CMS, just because >> we can. >> >> We have been persuaded (read: bullied) to redesign our header to >> exactly match that of the parent organisation. I have no problem with >> that per se, but theirs includes breadcrumbs, and we don't want 'em. >> >> I'm wondering what the consensus is here on their usefulness. I've >> always been under the impression that the purpose of breadcrumbs was >> to indicate to the user where they had been. However, the ones we are >> being urged to implement do no such thing; they simply display our >> organisational structure. This means that on every one of our 200-odd >> pages, the breadcrumbs will appear like so (we are the library): >> >> Parent Org > Clinical Services > Library > Current page >> >> The only thing that's going to change is the current page. To me, >> that's not a breadcrumb trail at all. >> >> Am I wrong in my thinking? Is this a common usage? How does this >> benefit the user at all? >> >> I'm questioning it because of usability issues, which is how I tie it >> in with web standards. If this is considered off-topic, I apologise, >> and replies should come directly to me rather than the list. >> >> thanks, >> lib. >> >> >> ******************************************************************* >> List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm >> Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm >> Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> ******************************************************************* >> >> >> >> >> -- >> ---------------------------------------------- >> Steve 'Doc' Baty B.Sc (Maths), M.EC, MBA >> Principal Consultant >> Meld Consulting >> M: +61 417 061 292 >> E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> UX Statistics: http://uxstats.blogspot.com >> >> Member, UPA - www.upassoc.org >> Member, IA Institute - www.iainstitute.org >> Member, IxDA - www.ixda.org >> Contributor - UXMatters - www.uxmatters.com >> ******************************************************************* >> List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm >> Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm >> Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> ******************************************************************* >> > > > > ******************************************************************* > List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm > Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm > Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ******************************************************************* > > -- ---------------------------------------------- Steve 'Doc' Baty B.Sc (Maths), M.EC, MBA Principal Consultant Meld Consulting M: +61 417 061 292 E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] UX Statistics: http://uxstats.blogspot.com Member, UPA - www.upassoc.org Member, IA Institute - www.iainstitute.org Member, IxDA - www.ixda.org Contributor - UXMatters - www.uxmatters.com ******************************************************************* List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *******************************************************************
