Discussion: The Key to Effective Websites
Imagine that you need to travel to a distant town. You have a set of maps, but each map is different--some maps have north at the top, some color roads green and others use blue, and some require you to use equipment you don't have to read them. That would get frustrating pretty quickly.
The following standards cover navigation principles for BYU-Hawaii Web pages. These standards help to ensure that all types of audiences can get around the BYUH Web site, specifically those users who only use a keyboard for navigation due to disabilities or choice. Following these rules will help you use proper navigation techniques so that no matter who your users are, they will be able to know where they are and how they got there.
Rationale
These rules have been developed using standard navigation rules from other BYU Web sites (Provo and Idaho), and also using best practices of Web design. Users who browse the Web using nonstandard browsers, alternative input devices, and the standard mouse and keyboard will appreciate consistent navigation.
Principles
Review this list of principles. You'll want to read them carefully to see what you think they mean. Try to think of a specific example for each rule as you view the list. The next section gives you reasons for the principles and some specific examples.
- Use the BYUH banner template as necessary
- All pages have consistent navigation
- Pages comply with federal accessibility guidelines
- All non-text elements have textual equivalent (ALT tags)
- Pages should be logically navigable by keyboard only
