Pattern 20: The rhetoric of arrival and departure ***
AKA:

Back to Diagram 1 - Getting started Back to Diagram 2 - Useability Back to Diagram 3 - Adding detail Back to Diagram 4 - Workflow/security

View sensitizing image - Getting the
message across

You are concerned with providing the user with a SENSE OF LOCATION (15). However…

Link information should be visible on the current page but too much of it would take up too much space.

Therefore

Always provide information about where the user came from when he arrives somewhere and explain why he should leave and what to expect at the destination.

Links should define content prior to departure to a new page. Therefore, link names should be chosen so that they make sense in terms of what they link to. Reinforce them with pop up link titles that appear when one rolls over the link (tool tips) - the overhead for this is quite small. Warn the user if there are likely to be surprises; e.g. login needed or site often down. If possible explain what benefit a user will obtain by following the link.

On arrival the page name and header should match the link title - so that the user gets NO UNPLEASANT SURPRISES (46). Provide visitors with a clear SENSE OF LOCATION (15).

Use pop-ups to show at least link titles and possibly more explanation of where the link leads to. Consider displaying the URL too - especially if the user must leave the site or the site area. Consider changing the pointer shape for outbound links. Each page should contain a visible explanation or clue as to what it is, consistent with the link text and title. Don't delete page names from your site - divert visitors instead.

Use BREADCRUMBS (23) to reinforce this strategy. Make sure that you TRACK MULTIPLE IDENTICAL REQUESTS (61).

Reviewers and sources
Frank Buschmann, Kevlin Henney, Nora Koch, Oliver Vogel, Uwe Zdun, Nielsen (2000)

Discussion - forces - known uses

This pattern comes directly from Nielsen (2000). The basic idea is that users should know where they are going before they go there and they should be able to see where they are - and where they have come from - when they arrive.

Changing the pointer shape for outbound links provides reinforcement but may confuse casual users: they know what the hand does, but what's this funny looking thing?

Lastly, when you update the site, avoid potential visitor disappointment by never changing page names. Divert visitors to new pages if necessary.
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