Hyperlink Usability
May 21

Hyperlink Usability

Design Guidelines for Visualizing Links: A lot of really good guidelines for hyperlink usability that really boil down to one point: do links the way HTML was built to handle them and you won’t have any problems. Ninety-nine percent of usability problems on the Net are a result of people trying to get cute.

Don’t underline any text that’s not a link, even if your links aren’t underlined. Reserve underlining for links. Because underlines provide a strong perceived affordance of clickability, users will be confused and disappointed if underlined text doesn’t have an actual affordance to match this perception.
by Deane   May 21, 2004 8:16 PM   |

Comments

by Owen,   May 24, 2004 7:24 AM  

So... What about book titles?

As far as I'm concerned, Jakob Nielsen has his moments, but is generally a kook. There are plenty of other practical usability experts that aren't so draconian; providing good usability advice and still letting you be artistic.

by Brad Rhine,   May 24, 2004 7:43 AM  

So... What about book titles?

Italicize them. You should only underline book titles when italic text isn't available.

Although I still that Nielsen is a kook. It's only a matter of time before his slow descent into madness is complete.

by Deane,   May 24, 2004 7:50 AM  

I've read just about everything Nielsen has ever written. And while "Designing Web Usability" fundamentally changed the way I build Web pages, I've found everything else to be confusing and contradictory. I think Nielsen himself could build a Web site then tear it apart for "usability violations."

I actually met him once at an intranets conference in Silicon Valley back in 2001. Very personable guy.

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