Navigation in the Computer Medium: A Cognitive Analysis

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Abstract
The goal of this research is to provide a cognitive analysis of navigation in the computer medium. As the complexity of computerized information systems increases, interface designers face the formidable challenge of supporting navigation within these systems to allow users to quickly obtain information relevant to their tasks and goals. Instead of focusing solely on the comparison of a small subset of proposed techniques or theories for aiding navigation, this study investigates how people handle navigation within the natural context of a familiar computer environment, and reveals processes that can be better supported in order to aid navigation. Both a field study and a field experiment were conducted. The results of these studies provide evidence to support previous navigation-related theories and contribute to a pattern of navigation behavior that has been observed in other domains like anesthesiology and nuclear power. In addition to describing the characteristics of the computer medium that influence people's ability to navigate, this paper will also discuss typical navigation problems that arise in this medium, and how people change their behavior and adapt to computer systems to overcome these problems.

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