- Nov 2016
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techwritingf16.robinwharton.net techwritingf16.robinwharton.net
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Consistency7 has some other advantages for the user, as well. A consistent format speeds searching—it sets up expectations about where certain kinds of information or elements such as menus, navigation aids, or site maps can be found (Tullis 1988). Consistency, then, should exist not just within individual screens but among all screens in a Web site; therefore, secondary7 screens should be logically, visually, and structurally derivative of home or primary pages
This quote can tie into an earlier point I've made for this article about accepted design formats and their usefulness to us as technical writers.
When people are able to see a website that makes sense, flows logically with consistent design, the user is able to search through it at a higher speed. The user is then not having to decipher where exactly the "About" page is, but know already to look at the top left of the menu bar on the home page or any page they may land on in the website.
Williams goes on to explain that consistency should exist "among all screens in a Web site; therefore, secondary screens should be logically, visually, and structurally derivative of home or primary pages". This means that when there is consistency throughout the website, not just a few pages, the user can easily navigate the entire website since it has been logically planned and designed. In my service learning project we find that some pages are well thought out while others are not and that inconsistency creates confusion since the information in the latter pages is not as easy to access. This can be changed of course by applying what we've read in this article.
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