Orientate Users Adding Tabs To Your Interface

Tabs are use as navigation help for users, they are a resource to orientate them. Tabs are usually easy to integrate to every interface design but not everybody does it right.

PollDaddy, an online surveys and polls creation tool, uses tabs implemented correctly. The active tab seems to be closer to the user, the deactivated ones are shadowed in the back.

Polldaddy 20071119

On the other hand, IDrive-E, an online backup system, is not using tabs at all. In the example, you can see how difficult is to see in which section of the website you are. OK, they write the title on the top of the page (e.g. Download) but the word is not even marked with a different color, this is a usability problem that might confuse users. Sorry, I don’t like it.

IDrive-e 20071119

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Disclaimer: with this kind of article I want to point out usability and interface problems some sites could have. Please do not take this as an attack, take it as a free advice. I would like to make clear that this design problems could happen for many reasons, including lack of time or money.

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2 comments:

  1. Jack, 20. November 2007, 11:58

    You are right, and look at the color combination, the logo… white, blue and red? Yak.
    I think they should hire some good designer…

     
  2. Jason, 28. November 2007, 13:27

    Everything is wrong with IDrive-E- the colors, lack of web-standards, tables for layout, no concern for usability or accessibility.

    IDrive-E is a sure contender for web design hall of shame and serves as a benchmark site for how things can go wrong in design.

     

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