 | Hansel and Gretel sprinkled breadcrumbs on the forest path to find their way home, and it’s a common practice in web design to place breadcrumbs atop web pages to help users find their way. Breadcrumbs display the path that users took to tell them where they are in the website and how to return to previous pages. |
| © Anthony Aneese Totah Jr | Dreamstime.com |
Street signs serve the same purpose in cities, but not always successfully. For example, sometimes street names change to denote a different city quadrant or to honor a person of cultural or historical significance.
Changes in name or blocked signage can confuse motorists and pedestrians navigating streets. Whether people are driving or walking, a landmark building, such as the Old Red Courthouse in downtown Dallas (see photo above), can help people find their way. I see it as a big ole breadcrumb. Helpful as it may be, it wouldn’t be tolerated in a planned, gated community. That’s because its style (Romanesque Revival Style, circa 1893) is different from other buildings in the neighborhood (e.g., the Bank of America Plaza [Modern Art Deco Style, circa 1985], on the right).
Buildings in gated communities typically have a common look and feel. That unified look contributes to a neighborhood’s identity and is likely a draw for home buyers. Houses in gated communities retain their value better than houses in non-gated communities.
Within a website, webpages typically also have a common look and feel. A unified look on a website contributes to the website’s identity and gives visitors a sense of where they are. If page design departs from site design — layout, navigation, color, and font — visitors are likely to be confused. They may not know which site they’re on, and rather than looking for products or information on the current page, leave the page to get their bearings. They miss any resources the page offered, and website owners miss their opportunity to sell or inform.
Design consistency is important on websites. It helps you find your way. On the street, consistency doesn’t help you. It hinders, in my opinion. On a website, you want breadcrumbs to support wayfinding, but you want them to be consistent with overall design.
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