The content area
Web content is so multifaceted that few general rules apply, but the following common practices make content areas easier to use:
Page titles. Don’t bury the lead. Every page needs a visible name near the top. For all kinds of logical, editorial, accessibility, search visibility, and common-sense reasons, use an heading at the top of the page to let users know what the page is about.
Breadcrumb navigation. The top of the content area is the most common location for breadcrumb navigation.
Jump-to-top links. Jump links are a nice refinement for long pages. These links don’t need to be elaborate—just a top of page link will do, but a small up-arrow icon offers good reinforcement.
Rules. These elements can easily be overused and lead to a cluttered design. Use css to keep page rules as unobtrusive as possible. When in doubt, skip rules and use a little white space to create visual content groupings or separations.
Paging navigation. In multipage sequences it is convenient to have simple text links at the top and bottom of the page to move the reader to the previous or next pages in the sequence. In longer sequences it is helpful to provide information describing where they are in the series.
Dates. Publication and update dates are useful for assessing the currency and relevance of content. In news and magazine sites the publication date should appear at the top of the page. Other sites should display a last-updated date at the bottom of the content area (fig. 6.7).