Mundane Matters

I was recently debating with a client the merits of modules vs. blocks. In a nutshell, “module” was the term that they used internally, but block provided a simpler, perhaps more easily parsed, description. More mundane, yes, but ‘block’ was simpler. 

The debate brought to mind the fact that, when developing link names for websites, simplicity matters (mundane or not).

Check out any recently redesigned university site: the cleanest of them will separate audience-based navigation from topic-based navigation. And that task-based navigation will read something like About, Academics, Admissions, Student Life, News & Events, Athletics, Giving. 

Why? Because it’s what makes sense to prospective students and their parents, and those labels provide them with clear paths to find the information that they want. 

Was a time that people wanted to get jiggy with their labels (I’ve got a giftcard for anyone who can name the college that once had Before __, During __, and After ___ as their three main site links!); thankfully now, more and more, people are choosing clear over clever. The goal now isn’t to wow the visitor with catchy new phrases (or to use the official names of offices or departments) but to connect them quickly and easily to the information and services they want by using the terms they’d use themselves.

Some examples of terms we know that students get: – Majors & Minors – Applying – Student Life – Parking – Housing & Dining – Study Abroad – Tutoring Services

Examples of terms that, well, not so much: – Prospective student, future student, aspiring student – Courses of Study – Student Affairs – Department of Public Safety – The Office of International Programs – Sodexho – The Center for Academic Success

As for the module vs. block debate, the client went with module, but surrounded it with clear, concise content that explained how block-like a module can be…