The Australian Government Information Management Office Archive

Better Practice Examples

Navigation

Making web sites easy for users to navigate.

Overview

Australian Government departments and agencies are required to provide information and services online, and to ensure that a range of standards and guidelines is in place. With an increasing amount of information and services available online, the ease of navigation (the way in which users move about the resources on the web site), becomes increasingly important.

Amongst other things, good web site navigation involves:

• Considering prospective users and the way they want or need to use the web site;
• Ensuring that navigational schemas and elements are accessible to people with disabilities;
• Structuring web sites around a logical, useful hierarchy;
• Providing users with several options to identify the site's structure and resources;
• Applying consistent navigation methods to each page;
• Ensuring that navigation aids are intuitive and easy to use;
• Ensuring that navigation is economical in terms of time and action;
• Ensuring that the web site is navigable from wherever the user enters the site;
• Ensuring that users understand where they are located in the site;
• Using appropriate bars and buttons;
• Using labels that people will recognise;
• Ensuring that search functions and engines are effective;
• Displaying search results in the most useful way;
• Providing effective browse functions;
• Linking effectively to internal resources; 
• Making links to external pages clear;
• Ensuring that tables of contents are effective; and
• Having a regular maintenance program.

Minimum website standards with which agencies must comply include information about the best ways of making web sites navigable.  To assist agencies to make their web sites as easy to navigate as possible, AGIMO has produced Better Practice Checklist 2 - Website Navigation.

Examples of Better Practice - Navigation

Australian Government:

• Wheat Export Authority site.
• Product Recalls Australia site, provided by the Treasury.  
• National Gallery of Australia's web site uses a frame at the foot of the page to provide consistent navigation across all pages.
• Migration Agents Registration Authority web site uses an easy to read and follow interface with access to multilingual support.
• Australian Honours System web site has a simple and clean interface with large and easy to find navigation tools.
• Office of Hearing Services web site uses a graphical interface with large, easy to read text. The site provides multiple ways of linking between pages which adds to user-friendliness.
• Child Support Agency provides easy navigation for each of its customer groups.

Other Australian Governments:

• The Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme web site provides simple and easy access to information and services.

Nominate a better practice example/provide comments on this page

Do you know of an example of better practice? If you wish to nominate an example, please forward the details to the Better Practice Team.

Contact details

Contact the AGIMO Better Practice Team with your comments or contributions.