Visual representation of hypermedia links according to their types

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we present the first results of the HyperNavi project which is dedicated to the conception of tools to help users navigating in hypermedia systems and thus fight against the two well-known drawbacks: disorientation and cognitive overhead.To this end, we suggest providing users with useful information about links in the interface of such systems. So, in this paper, we discuss the two following points:1. What information or link types are relevant for users whenever they browse hypermedia systems such as the World Wide Web (WWW)?2. What are practical ways to provide visually this information through the interface of such systems? We list different possibilities (text appearance, button, icon, cursor, sound, tooltip, textfield of the status bar, preview and description windows) and make suggestions for a particular domain: the minutes of the Belgian Parliament sessions.

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INDEX TERMS

Keywords:
WWW interface, hypermedia links, link typology, navigation aids, visual representation