Icon navigation is nothing new. Icon navigation is the use of imagery to get around your computer, website, or provide a guide to your location on the Internet. You have probably seen it without even knowing it. Most computer navigation uses icon navigation to get around on a computer – the little folder image on My Documents, or a little disk as the Save button, or MS Word “W” icon. Favicons are used on websites, the little image that appears in the top left of the browser window and in the URL field.
Last week’s poll asked “Does your college/university use icon navigation/links on its website?” And a majority of respondents say no, they don’t use it. A quarter of the poll takers said they do use icon links, but only a couple. And about an eighth of the poll takers said they use icon links about half the time. The illustration of what the poll results is below. No one mentioned using icon navigation on more than half the links on their website.
Here are a few reasons why icon navigation may be useful
- Draw attention to certain aspects of the site like processes, different services or special offers.
- Adds a sense of visual interest and a visual “pop” to the site.
- Easily portray the type of information the user it going to. Like the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
- Extra illustration of the brand and provide a little extra “experience” to the website.
My Starbucks Ideas uses icons to bring visual interest to the process users go through to provide ideas for Starbucks. The images also add a bit of explanation to the information you are going to be seeing after you click on it. It also adds a bit of extra experience to the Starbucks website.
Yahoo’s website uses icon navigation to gain general visual interest and adds some extra visualization of its brand. They probably spent a lot of time picking out and illustrating the little images on the left nav bar and the nav bar on the right side of the page.
Fort Hays State University uses icon navigation in the bottom right of its homepage to draw interest to its social media websites and videos.
Old Dominion University pulls attention to various topics like myODU, ODU on YouTube, President’s Blog, and Campus Safety & Alerts on both the left and right side of its homepage with the use of icon navigation.
Keep in mind while utilizing icon navigation
- The icon being used should relate to the information it represents. A YouTube icon goes to your YouTube channel.
- The icon being used should compliment the visual/branded style on the website. The YouTube icon on Old Dominion matches their website while the YouTube icon on the University of Southern Maine’s site matches their website design.
- Don’t use clip art or generic imagery. This one relates a bit to the point above, but it has to be said. There are many sites out their that use generic clip art that doesn’t fit with the site may give a user a less then stellar experience.
Be sure to take the weekly poll on interaction and engagement on social network sites. It is on the right side of the page.
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Posted by Travis 
