This short set of questions is designed to help you find out whether users can navigate your site easily, and if they know where they are at all times.
Start on a page a few levels deep – NOT a homepage or main section page – this more accurately represents the experience a user will have if they reach you via search or a shared link. Have a print out of the page to mark out the answers.
Below, we’ve listed the questions you should ask, and the marks your user should make on the print out of your site.
Question |
How to label it |
| What site is this? | Circle the site name |
| What are the major sections of this site? | Label as ‘A’ |
| What section is this page in? | Label as ‘B’ |
| What is ‘up’ 1 level from here? | Label as ‘C’ |
| How do I get to the home page of this site? | Label with ‘D’ |
| How do I get to the top of this section of the site? | Label with ‘E’ |
| What does each group of links represent? | Circle the major groups and label.
|
| Now go to the home page of this site.
How could you get back to the page you were on from the site home page? |
Write your path(s) as: step 1 > step 2 >… |
This test is an updated and simplified version of Instone’s Navigation Stress Test
