Most users visit a web site with a specific goal in mind--they are looking for information. A scenario of a hypothetical user follows:

Jane, a junior in high school, is beginning her college search. She wants to be a graphic design major, but does not know what college will provide her with the best education. She decides to start her research by visiting college web sites.

She enters the first college's site and sees a nice picture of the campus on the homepage. She likes the atmosphere of the college suggested by the photo, but the goal of her search is to determine the quality of the academic and graphic design programs. She analyzes the list of links and decides that "Academics" would best suit her needs. She clicks on the link, and a long list of the college's academic programs is displayed. She sees that art is available, but unlike many of the other programs, art offers no link for additional information. She goes back to the college homepage hoping to find a search option, but none is available. She crosses the first college off her list and proceeds to the next.

The second college's homepage contains a lot of information. There is information about admission, campus events, sports scores, student programs, and the alumni association. Again she searches for an "Academics" link and finds a menu listing fifteen choices, ranging from scholarships to faculty. Overwhelmed by the choices and unsure which one best suits her needs, she decides to click on academic departments. This time she is excited to find a further link for art. When she enters the department homepage, however, she notices the information is incomplete. There is a list of the art department faculty with their educational experiences but no professional interests. Course syllabi are listed, but all are courses from Spring 1998--almost two years old. She finds an online form to request more information. After spending fifteen minutes filling out a detailed form, she clicks the submit button. The computer, after several minutes, displays, "Sorry but an error has occurred while processing your information. Please try again later." She crosses the second college off of her list.