AGENDA

• Intro - Framing the problem
• Competitive Analysis of Global Navigation
• C/D Review of current Hierarchy Levels and Structure
• C/D Current Label Audit
• Next Steps

MAKE THINGS FINDABLE AND DISCOVERABLE

COMPETITIVE GLOBAL NAV

CURRENT CAR AND DRIVER GLOBAL NAVIGATION STRUCTURE

Discoverability is cut almost in half by hiding a website’s main navigation. Also, task time is longer and perceived task difficulty increases.

CURRENT C/D LABEL ATTRIBUTES

AUDIENCE BASED NAVIGATION

WHY NOT TO USE IT

It forces users to identify themselves instead of presenting topics upfront.

• Users don’t know which group to choose.
• Users question whether the category will have information about that group or for that group.
• Forcing people to self-identify creates an additional step and takes people out of their task mindset.
• Users feel anxious that the information they see might be incomplete or incorrect.
• Websites with audience-based navigation often have overlapping content, which creates a greater workload for users (and content maintainers).

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Make audience categories mutually exclusive and jargon free. Audience groups should be distinct and descriptive, so that users can quickly identify themselves. Category names should use plain-language terms that people can easily relate to.
• Indicate if the category contains information for that group. Users are much more successful with audience navigation that includes the additional word(s) “for” or “Information for”.

• Only use audience-based navigation when the content truly justifies it. Role-based navigation works best when the content is unique to that audience group. There should be enough information specifically for that group to justify its own section. As we move forward with Car and Driver personalization, the content can be configurable for specific users.
• Add additional context by showing subcategories early on. Surfacing deeper links (for example, with a mega menu) introduces users to the scope of a section and affords a shortcut to the content. This way, users can scan the options and better understand each category and its contents.
• Design navigation that allows users to easily switch between audiences. As with any navigation system, users should be able to understand where they are in the site, and where else they can go. Avoid portals that lock users into an audience section with no obvious way to move between sections.

NARROW & DEEP NAVIGATION

Simple sites with a narrow range of content can usually be represented with just a few categories. This minimalist presentation helps users quickly understand what’s available and select the right section

UTILITY NAVIGATION

Utility navigation consists of secondary actions and tools, such as contact, subscribe, save, sign in, share, change view, print. These activities strongly affect website visitor satisfaction, user experience, and engagement. Put utilities where people expect and need them.

FORMAT

Format-based navigation, such as links to Videos, at the top levels of a website’s information architecture lacks sufficient context and information scent for topic-focused users.

NEXT STEPS

• Review Current MVP plan for site map and global navigation
• Identify areas to iterate and test future global nav redesign based on current efforts
• Identify a Mobile First approach for global navigation redesign + search
• Identify research methodology to start hypothesis testing and (in)validation
• Start creating behavioral and attribute clusters for user groups as we continue to build C/D personas

TEST METHODOLOGIES

TREE TESTING

A tree test is an IA-focused technique conducted to determine if mission-critical information can be found in the site’s IA. It does not display the user interface to test participants; they navigate using only link names.

Questions it answers:

• Are the names of categories understandable?

• Do the category names accurately convey content?

• Is content categorized in a user-centered manner?

• Are content titles distinguishable from one another?

• Is information difficult to find because the structure is too broad or too deep?

• Direct success rate: How many participants found the right answer without having to go back up and down the tree?

• Indirect success rate: How many participants got the right answer, but had to navigate back up and down the tree to find it?

• First-click data: Which tier-1 categories did users click first? First clicks are a good indicator of the strength of category names.

CARD SORTING

Closed card sorts are an IA-focused method conducted to evaluate the strength of category names.

Questions it answers:

• Are the names of categories understandable?

• Do the category names accurately convey content?

• Is content categorized in a user-centered manner?

• Are content titles distinguishable from one another?

USABILITY TESTING

Usability testing is conducted to determine how and why users navigate Car and Driver conceptual designs and conduct tasks.

Questions it answers:

• How do users find information?

• Which navigation components are utilized?

• Which navigation components go unnoticed?

• Which navigation components are avoided?

Q&A