Wayfinding Navigation

Wayfinding and Navigation

Design navigation so that people with cognitive and memory difficulties can find content, understand where they are, and get back to where they were — without relying on memory.

Core Principle

Users should always be able to answer three questions instantly: 1. Where am I? 2. Where can I go? 3. How do I get back?

If any answer requires more than 1 second of thought, the navigation has failed.

Design Patterns

Signpost Pattern

• Breadcrumbs in hierarchies deeper than 2 levels
• Step indicators in multi-step flows ("Step 2 of 4")
• Active section highlighted in navigation
• Page titles that match the link that brought the user here

Minimal Path Pattern

• Important actions reachable in 1–2 clicks from any screen
• Breadth over depth — flatten deep hierarchies
• Shortcuts to frequently used content
• "Back to [last meaningful location]" always available

Multiple Routes Pattern

• Search AND browse AND shortcuts for all important content
• Don't force a single path to any destination
• "Jump to" links for long pages
• Recently visited and frequently used sections accessible

Chunking Pattern

• Break long content into headed sections (3–5 paragraphs each max)
• Table of contents for pages longer than 3 screens
• Progressive disclosure for detail
• Group related form fields into labelled fieldsets

Assessment Checklist

• [ ] Every page has a clear, descriptive title
• [ ] Navigation is consistent across all pages (same position, same order)
• [ ] Current location is always visually indicated
• [ ] Breadcrumbs or back links are present in hierarchies
• [ ] Multi-step flows show progress and allow backward movement
• [ ] Search is available on every page
• [ ] Important actions are reachable in 2 clicks or fewer
• [ ] Headings describe content (not just categories)
• [ ] Link text describes the destination (no "click here")

Output Format

When reviewing: identify navigation failures with specific locations and recommended fixes. When designing: present the information architecture with cognitive accessibility annotations.