KAMİS
Links
Clear Link Names
Principle
Link texts should be made meaningful and easily understandable by users.
Description
The use of link labels that are not easily understandable can lead users to be unable to access the information they are looking for and waste time examining irrelevant information. The understandability of link texts is one of the most important elements that facilitate navigation on a website.
Guidelines
- When selecting link texts, the target user audience and their habits should be taken into account, and the use of expressions that users might confuse or misunderstand should be avoided.
- Link texts should give users an idea about the content or document offered by the link.
- Avoid using generic phrases that do not provide additional information to users, such as "Click here" or "More information." Users can identify links from their appearance, so telling them to click the links is unnecessary.
- Link texts that consist entirely of uppercase or lowercase letters should be avoided, as they can make reading and user website scanning difficult.
- Link texts should be long enough to be understandable but short enough not to wrap onto the next line. It is recommended that they not exceed 10 words.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 8.4.5 – Placing navigation components consistently
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.6 – Using familiar terminology for navigation links
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.7 – Using descriptive link labels
Useful Resources
Significance Level
★★★★★ 3/5
Example
In the example website, the link label "Tük. Sor. Hakem Heyeti İşlemleri" is not easily understandable. Instead, it is recommended to use a more understandable link name.
Misleading Elements That Appear as Links
Principle
The use of elements on websites that appear as links but are not clickable should be avoided.
Description
Users can identify clickable elements on websites based on their previous experiences. Elements designed to appear clickable but do not function as links can mislead users, causing them to waste time and form negative impressions about the site.
Guidelines
- Clickable elements on web pages should be clearly indicated, and non-link elements should not be given a clickable appearance.
- User habits and general standards regarding the appearance of elements on websites should be taken into account.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.2 – Identification of links
Useful Resources
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Significance Level
★★★★★ 3/5
Example
In the example website, although there are sentences in different parts of the text that are in blue and underlined, only the sentence "Başvuru dilekçesi için tıklayınız" contains a link. This situation gives the impression that both phrases are clickable, which can be misleading to users.
Relevance of Link Names to the Linked Content
Principle
Link texts should be consistent with the associated content and its titles.
Description
Knowing where they are during their navigation on a website is crucial for users to efficiently use the site. Displaying navigation elements actively with the visited content helps users in understanding their location within the site's structure, making site navigation easier.
Guidelines
- In-page headings should contain clues that inform users about the page's structure and organization and guide them correctly.
- In-page headings should be designed consistently across all pages (e.g., color, font, layout, etc.).
- The expressions of in-page headings should provide a strong clue about their content.
- Titles that give the message that they are useful for users should be selected.
- It should be noted that there is no more appealing type of heading than headings that ask questions for users.
- We should be aware that pages containing explanatory and understandable headings help users avoid wasting time reading unnecessary information, as headings classify page content and make it easier for users to find the content they are looking for.
- If deemed necessary, a brief sentence describing what is done in this section should be added below the heading.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 8.4.4 – Consistency between navigation components and content
Useful Resources
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Significance Level
★★★★★ 3/5
Example
In the example website, when you click on the "Kültür" (Culture) link in the main menu, you are directed to a page with the title "Kültür," ensuring consistency between the link and the content. Additionally, the "Kültür" link in the main menu is visually highlighted when selected.
Link Text Length
Principle
When using link texts, prefer expressions that are not too long but allow users to form an idea about the link.
Description
Link texts that are too long can slow down users as they read, which may impede their progress. Conversely, one-word links might not provide enough clarity or meaning for users. Additionally, long texts can shift to the next line or overflow on screens with different resolutions. Having link text of an appropriate length, just enough to concisely describe the target page, can help users scan the page more easily.
Guidelines
- Link texts should be long enough to be understood, and they should not be shortened to a single word.
- Link texts should be short enough not to extend to the next line. It is recommended not to exceed 10 words.
- If link texts unavoidably extend to the next line, the appearance should suggest that there is only one link.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.13 – Link length
Useful Resources
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Significance Level
★★★★★ 3/5
Example
In the example website, the link names in the top menu are designed to be clear, short, and understandable, avoiding unnecessary and long names.
Link Design
Principle
Links should be designed to be consistent, understandable, and distinguishable from each other.
Description
To help users distinguish links, various techniques such as underlining, color differentiation, or positioning can be employed. When adjacent links are not clearly distinguishable, users may make mistakes. Therefore, it is essential to make links stand out from other page elements.
Guidelines
- To make links more noticeable, you can use underlines and different colors compared to regular text, or place them differently on the page.
- When the mouse cursor hovers over a link, it should change to a hand icon, and the link's style (e.g., color or highlighting) should change to indicate its clickability.
- Blue and underlined text are strong cues that a text is a link. However, considering that older users find blue the hardest color to perceive, this choice should be made based on the website's target audience.
- Links that have a highly stylized design to create curiosity might be interpreted as ads and should be avoided.
- Visited links should appear more worn or have a paler color tone than other links. Visual considerations should not compromise this principle.
- Considering different devices, links should provide sufficient clickable areas. White space (whitespace) can be included in link design when necessary.
- Link texts that consist entirely of uppercase or lowercase letters should be avoided, as they can make reading and user website scanning difficult.
- If there are many links on the website, the links should be distinguishable from each other. In order to emphasise that the links designed in a similar way are different, methods such as placing each link on a different line or using empty spaces between links can be preferred.
- It should be made clear that the links providing access to different pages are different. For example, it may be preferable to use text elements for links to pages with reading texts, and buttons or icons for actions.
- Opening links in a separate window may mislead the user. For this reason, this option should not be preferred unless there is a special reason.
- Links leading to different websites should be designed to clearly indicate this, either through a visually distinct design or a warning when the link is clicked.
- Links to documents like PDFs should provide an icon or file extension to indicate the type of document, and they should open in a new window. Since users often prefer to close documents after viewing, they should not open in the same window.
- If a link leads to the download of a large document, the link text should include the file size.
- Links leading to pages in a different language should be accompanied by an indicator or icon specifying the language change.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.2 – Identification of links
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.3 – Distinguishing adjacent links from each other
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.4 – Distinguishing navigation links from transactions
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.9 – Marking links to special targets
Useful Resources
Significance Level
★★★★★ 4/5
Example
In the example website, links are designed to be visually distinguishable from other elements.
Clear and Consistent Links
Principle
Appropriate cues indicating that a text is clickable and a link should be consistently presented to users.
Description
For users to understand whether a link is clickable or not, they must move their cursor over the elements, which can slow them down and reduce their browsing speed. Using elements consistent with users' habits and past experiences will provide a comfortable navigation experience and contribute to a positive impression of the website.
Guidelines
- For links, underlined text, bullet points, symbols, and images should be used, but care should be taken to ensure their consistency with each other.
- If there are links that provide access to the same content in different parts of the website, they should be consistently formatted, and the use of different link labels should be avoided.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.2 – Identification of links
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.14 – Redundant links
Useful Resources
Significance Level
★★★★★ 4/5
Example
In the example screen, the underlined links make it immediately clear that the associated text is clickable.
External Links
Principle
Links that will redirect to different websites should be clearly distinguishable.
Description
Links on websites can redirect users to different sites or open new windows. In such cases, making these links visually distinct or using tooltip text can be useful. For example, if clicking on a person's name will open an email composition window, this information can be shared with the user by adding an email icon next to the person's name or by displaying tooltip text when the cursor hovers over the link.
Guidelines
- When links to other websites are clicked, a warning message should be displayed before redirection to inform the user that a different website will be opened.
- Link text should be written with an explanatory statement.
- Preferably, the target URL address can be included beneath the links to other websites.
- External links should not open in a new window. Opening a new window negatively affects the performance of many users.
- Links that will redirect to other websites should be visually designed differently so that users can understand them.
- PDFs and non-web-based documents should open in a new window.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.10 – Marking links opening new windows
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.11 – Distinguishing navigation links from controls
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.12 – Distinguishable within-page links
Useful Resources
Significance Level
★★★★★ 3/5
Example
In the example website, links that provide access to different websites are grouped, and text tooltips are displayed when the cursor hovers over the links to provide information.
Links Leading to Additional Information
Principle
Websites should include links that guide users to supplementary information related to the displayed content.
Description
Internet sites may contain technical terms or jargon that are unknown to users. Unless these terms are explained on the page, users may have difficulty understanding the content.
Guidelines
- Websites should include links that provide explanations for technical terms or jargon used.
References
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Useful Resources
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Significance Level
★★★★★ 3/5
Example
In the example website, a link is provided within the text for the "Competition Authority Strategic Plan," which directs users to the document containing the strategic plan. This offers convenience for users who may not have detailed knowledge about the document.
Faulty and Non-Functioning Links
Principle
The use of faulty or non-functioning links should be avoided.
Description
The overall quality of the user experience is of great importance in how users perceive a website, whether as valuable or trustworthy. Faulty and broken links are significant factors that adversely affect the usability of websites. Faulty and broken links can disappoint users, causing them to leave the website.
Guidelines
- Links and their associated content should be regularly checked, and where necessary, links should be updated or removed from the page.
- URL architecture, especially in cases where links lead to different pages on other websites, should ideally remain unchanged.
- If changes to the URL architecture are necessary, appropriate redirection should be implemented to prevent faulty or broken links.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 8.4.16 – Avoiding “dead links”
- ISO 9241-151 / 8.4.17 – Avoiding incorrect links
Useful Resources
Significance Level
★★★★★ 4/5
Example
In the example site, it is seen that the clicked link redirects to an invalid page.
Validation for User Selection
Principle
If the content changes based on the user's selection, this condition must be communicated to the users when necessary before loading the new content.
Description
If users need to make selections or change settings to view website content or proceed to a different step, this information should be shared with the users in a clear and understandable manner. For example, if users are required to choose a language before viewing site content, the selection list should be made prominently visible to the users.
Guidelines
- In cases where it is necessary to save information before leaving the website, users should be informed.
- For interactions that result in changing current settings or reverting changes, users should be informed and given the chance to cancel the interaction.
- Dropdown menus with interaction choices should not execute the interaction as soon as it's selected. Instead, an adjacent button should be provided for executing the interaction.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 8.4.15 – Explicit activation
Useful Resources
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Significance Level
★★★★★ 4/5
Example
In the example site, users are informed that the page settings will change when they want to switch to text-only view.
Repetition of Important and Frequently Used Links
Principle
Access to important or frequently used content should be provided from different locations within the website.
Description
Providing access to the same content through different paths makes it easier for users to find the information they are looking for. Different users may prefer to use different links to access the same page depending on the page layout and their individual perceptions. For example, some users might try to access relevant content through links on the main page, while others might prefer to navigate through menus.
Guidelines
- Multiple links can be provided to high-priority or frequently visited content.
- Links leading to the same page should be checked to ensure they are up-to-date and provide the same navigation experience.
- If the same link needs to be used multiple times on the page, care should be taken to position these links at a distance from each other.
- On very long pages, it may be useful to repeat important links located at the top in the footer section.
- Links should not be repeated unnecessarily. Unnecessary repetition of links can lead to user frustration, time wastage, and cognitive overload.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 8.2.4 – Offering alternative access paths
Useful Resources
Significance Level
★★★★★ 3/5
Example
Example website shows that the "General Directorate of Family and Community Services" link is accessible both from the main menu and from the center of the page under the "Family and Community Services" menu.
Clickable Images
Principle
If any part of an image is clickable, ensure that the entire image is clickable, or make clickable areas within the image clearly visible and understandable.
Description
Links on websites can be presented through various elements, such as images, icons, and text. However, links presented through images are often not easily understood by users. To help users recognize that an image contains a link and is clickable, certain elements should be considered.
Guidelines
- To make it easier for users to understand that images contain links, text can be added on top of the image to support this.
- If images with links are part of a consistent group, the links are more easily understood and usable.
- All related elements should be made clickable to provide users with a larger clickable area and make clicking easier for them.
- Images with links should provide users with information about the target page and give them an idea of what they will encounter.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 7.2.3.2 – Providing text equivalents for non-text media objects
Useful Resources
Significance Level
★★★★★ 4/5
Example
Example website shows that presenting links only as images makes it difficult for users to understand what content they will access.
Visited Links
Principle
Visited links should have a more faded or subdued color tone compared to other links.
Description
Users expect links to be displayed in blue color with an underline based on their past experiences and perceptions. However, visited links are typically expected to be displayed in a similar style but with a purple color. This link appearance reflects users' fundamental understanding of links. Nevertheless, various designs and colors that match this understanding and make links recognizable can be applied.
Guidelines
- Ensure color consistency among different types of links, and all visited links should be the same color.
- Visited links should have a more subdued color.
- The colors used for visited links should not give users the impression that they are unvisited links in reverse.
References
- ISO 9241-151 / 9.4.8 – Highlighting previously visited links
Useful Resources
Significance Level
★★★★★ 4/5
Example
In the example website, the previously visited "yargı ilânları" link is shown in a different color to make it stand out.