Web Navigation:
Resolving Conflicts between the Desktop and the Web

Introduction

Metaphors can help users achieve their goals in using a system. The desktop metaphor has been very successful in making computer systems accessible to the general public. On the other hand, metaphors can lead users astray, especially when they are mixed together in one user interface. Users find it difficult to determine which controls apply to which part of the application.

Web browsers, the primary tool for accessing the World Wide Web, use the page metaphor, which is appropriate for browsing static text with hyperlinks. This is the task that browsers were designed for.

As the Web expanded into transaction systems and applications, the page metaphor has been mixed with application metaphors. This has created confusing environments for users. Advances in technology, such as frames and dynamic HTML have further added to the complexity of the situation, creating potential pitfalls for designers and ultimately usability problems for users.

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Classification