Recommendation 16.1.2 Provide information about the general layout of a siteq
The New Zealand Web Standards 2.0 were released in March 2009 and replace the previous version, the New Zealand Government Web Standards 1.0 (below). See Meeting the standards for more information.
The Recommendation
Recommendation 16.1.2 Provide information about the general layout of a site.
Provide information about the general layout of a site (e.g., a site map or table of contents).
Guide to this recommendation
The term “web site” can be vague as to the size of the site. It can be anything from a single page upwards.
The usefulness of this recommendation increases as the size of the site (number of pages) increases, and common sense applies. If a site has a minimal number of pages, then a site map or table of contents could quite possibly be overkill and its usefulness questionable.
This recommendation covers the W3C WAI checkpoint 13.3 for NZ government agencies.
Rationale for this recommendation
A site map enhances navigation, particularly when the structure of the site becomes more complex. The ideal site structure is a matter of subjectivity. A site may seem to its designers to be a dream to navigate, but may be found disorientating and confusing by some users, who will become frustrated trying to figure out the structure of the site. A site map or table of contents can assist, no matter how much the structure of the site is perceived to have been well-designed.
