Consistency in the interface and information design means people can learn how to use your site and apply what they know across all the pages of your site. Inconsistency in approach can be particularly disruptive for people who use assistive technology, such as screen reader or screen magnification software.
If you provide a useful navigation aid on more than one page, make sure it’s consistently presented in appearance and position each time you use it. When using platforms like Canvas and OpenScholar, much of the interface is provided by the platform. That said, the information design of page’s content also supports wayfinding.
- Use descriptive page titles. When you create a new page, think about how the page title will appear in the browser history or bookmarks. Provide a title that clearly communicates the purpose and content of the page.
- Use headings consistently. If you start a convention of preceding the first paragraph on each page with a Level 2 section heading, make sure you always do this.
- Provide consistent navigation. If you provide a list of items on more than one page, such as a list of links, make sure that the list is consistently ordered on each page.
Testing
- Review each page you produce. Are you consistent in the way you use headings and navigation options?
- Do your pages have a descriptive title? Check how they appear in your browser history. One convention is to use Page Name | Section Name | Site Name.