How can we make our navigation user-friendly?

National UK charity

Holding a workshop with stakeholders was the catalyst for transforming navigation that did not align with the organisation’s strategic goals, and made it difficult for visitors to find what they needed. The outcome was a new approach, which achieved both of these objectives.

The problem

The navigation of this organisation’s website was a mixture of what had always been with a sprinkling of what was thought to be important – and visitors had trouble finding what they were seeking. According to some within the organisation, the problem was too sensitive to solve.

The solution

A navigation workshop was organised for participating stakeholders. During the workshop, it quickly became apparent that nobody liked the navigation, and everybody agreed that it needed to change. The workshop covered:

Best practice examples
Review of, & discussion about, the current navigation through the lens of the organisation’s strategic goals
Discussion of examples liked by stakeholders
A working alone exercise where each participant made a draft navigation
Demo of a pre-prepared solution
Group discussion of all the solutions

Testing helps tackle attachment to the status quo

After resistance to change, the next biggest problem to solve was reorganising the structure so that visitors could find and complete their tasks. Several solutions were prototyped and tested. Undertaking testing played a significant role in addressing some strongly held views about certain aspects of the navigation.

Content model & page templates

Also important was the associated redevelopment of the content model and page templates, Changes to these ensured that visitors could be directed across content pillars, and back again, something which previously presented a major navigational challenge for users.

The result

Most immediately, the workshop shifted the perception of whether the problem was solvable and empowered the stakeholders to socialise the need for change. In the longer term, it enabled, what is a very complex menu, to be reconfigured collaboratively, and so that it both met strategic goals and the needs of users.

Created an environment where the problem could be addressed
Generated ideas about how the problem could be solved
Created consensus and ownership
Resulted in the development of an elegant solution to a complex set of navigational requirements requirements