Mobile Design Pattern: Site Index
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This design pattern is part of the Mobile Design Patterns series.
Contents |
Description
A systematic collection of links of all pages of the website.
Advantages
- Increases flexible navigation for users who are not familiar with the site map.
Use when
When a new website is launched, the audience visiting/using the website may find it difficult to navigate as they are not very well acquainted with the hierarchy of the website. This problem might be over come by designing a site index for the website.
Use how
Links of all the pages available on the website are available on a single page which is defined as the site index. For ease of use and flexibility to navigate the links provided in the site index may be listed either horizontally or vertically. The websites which have an optimized mobile version use the horizontal list when they have few pages to navigate, as shown in the following screenshots.
Sometimes, an effective way of listing the links would be listing them according to the categories, as shown in below screenshot.
As the index page contains links to all the pages of the website, generally a normal navigation bar is not required on the site index page. The list of links provided on the site index page should be in a systematic manner - for e.g. alphabetical order, as shown in first screenshot.
Design Tips
- To enhance the site index, a search box may be added to the top of the index, as shown in below screenshot. The user may enter a keyword in a search box which would return appropriate links from the list.
- Advertisements or promotions may be used in on the index page if there is free space on the webpage as shown in first screenshot.
--Submitted by croozeus 01:18, 12 May 2009 (EEST)
Bold text
25 Sep
2009
This interesting article explains a deeper meaning of site index mobile design pattern. The site index shows all web pages in an alphabetical index. Typically it is used for the users who are not familiar with the information architecture of the web pages.
The author has demonstrated this mobile design pattern with number of attractive screenshots. The scrrenshots are presented in the article, makes it easier to understand this site design pattern for beginners as well as designers.
The author has well explained when and how this site index should be used. Typically, the site index is used foe providing all the links on a single web page in which links are either horizontally or vertically. The author has also mentioned some designing tips for enhancing the site index.
This article is good for users as well as designers who want to focus on site index.