From Thought 2 Web A Brain Blog

Today, Google is most often the main portal we use to access other websites. Although we may take great pains to design the architecture of our sites, leading users step by step to their desired destination, the truth is that we’re usually dropped into the middle of a site without knowing where we are. Either we’ve followed a link or were referred by a search engine, we usually have no idea about a site’s navigation scheme.

With this in mind, we can use Steven Krug’s (author of “Don’t Make Me Think”) web design ACID test to determine if a page is well designed.

The ACID test involves answering 6 main questions. If you can answer them all for your page, you have reasonable assurance that the architecture of your page is effective. The questions in the ACID test are:

1. What site is this?
The site’s ID, or main logo, should be placed in its expected location which is in the upper left-hand corner of the page. The graphical logo should convey the main branding of the site, and the user should be able to click on the logo to access the home page.

2. What page am I on?
Every page needs a name, in the same way that every road needs to have a street sign. It’s not enough to highlight the current page in the main navigation. In the visual hierarchy of the page, the page title should frame the content of the page. In addition, the name needs to be prominent and needs to match what the user clicked.

3. What are the major sections of the site? (Primary Navigation)
The major sections of the site is conveyed via the primary navigation system. There’s a very poor sense of scale, direction, and location on the web which makes an effective primary navigation system absolutely essential. It’s no fun feeling lost, and navigation helps us find our way. It also tells us what the site contains and reveals content which is critical. Furthermore, knowing the major sections of a site via well designed navigation tells us how to use the site, and gives us confidence in the people who built it. Having an effective, well-designed navigation system helps you create a good first impression.

4. What are my options at this level? (Local Navigation)
It needs to be evident to the user what he can do at this current stage in the game. Can the user delve deeper into the structure of the site? Can the user get more information by clicking on other links? Or is the purpose of the page to simply read content? Whatever the case may be, what a user can do at the current level must be obvious.

5. Where am I in the scheme of things?
You should include breadcrumbs which is a visual cue of where in the site hierarchy a user is currently located. Each level in a breadcrumb is usually followed by a greater-than symbol (<), and the last item in the breadcrumb tells the user his current location. It works the same way a “You are here” indicator works on a map in a shopping mall or subway station map. Make it obvious to a user where he’s at.

6. How can I search?
Usability studies show that many users prefer searching for what they want rather than browsing your site first. Every page should contain a search box, or a link to a search page, usually in the header of the page. Don’t use fancy wording for search (like “Find”, “Quick Find”,“Quick Search”, etc.). Don’t use instructions – we’ve gotten to the point where everyone knows the purpose of search. Refer to Amazon.com for an example of highly successful search. Don’t forget to include a search box on every page!