Buttons arranged in a navigational bar should be placed towards the top or bottom of the page rather than the sides (Rosenfeld and Morville 59). Placing the navigational bar at the top of the page provides the user with immediate access and overview of the site's contents. Placing the navigational bar at the bottom of the page forces the reader to scroll through the page before jumping to another page. (6.13) If the site is large or complex, both styles can be used-for instance, the top navigational bar might contain topic links while the bottom navigation bar might contain tool links. Overall, each decision the designer makes while developing the navigational system should reflect the needs of the users and should make the site's contents more accessible.

 
 



6.12 Disabled Links

This navigational bar is taken from the "Introduction" page. Notice how the hyperlink is removed from "Introduction" and the text is color is different. Disabling the "Introduction" link helps users remain oriented in the site by identifying the page they are currently in.

 
   
 


6.13 Bottom Navigation

Here the global navigational system is at the bottom of the page. Its placement hinders usability because users have to scroll the bottom of the page before they can visit another section.