Information Scent
How well a link tells you whether it goes where you want.
Definition
The cues a user reads from labels and links to judge whether a path leads towards their goal, from information foraging theory.
Craft convention. True because the industry converged on it. Breaking it costs familiarity, not correctness.
On this plate
In plain language
How well a link tells you whether it goes where you want.
Example
'Delivery and returns' has strong scent for a returns question. 'Customer information' has almost none.
Local chart
TERM·015 · Region X · Grid C6
This entry and the entries it is stated to connect with. Each line is labelled with what the connection means.
Continue from here
Each link says what the connection is, so you can tell a principle from an alternative from a thing people mix this up with.
Deeper reading
The full entry behind this definition.
- NavigationPAT·001 · Pattern
- First-Click TestingRES·007 · Research method
- MicrocopyWRT·001 · UX writing
Nearby in the Atlas
Adjacent territory, found through shared tags rather than a stated link.