Design Cop-out #2: Breadcrumbs

In this week’s article I revisit the topic of breadcrumbs as a treatment for a symptom, instead of a way to address the root of a problem.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

Most sites that provide breadcrumbs show the location variety. In this case, each page displays the optimal path the user could’ve clicked on to get it. For example, the Energy.gov page, “A Brief History of Coal Use” displays the breadcrumb trail of “Educational Activities > Energy Lessons > Coal-Introduction > Coal History” even though the user could get there without clicking on any links in that trail.

Even though path breadcrumbs are most like their fairytale ancestors, they are infrequently used on sites. It’s rarely useful to display the oft circuitous route the user takes. Attribute breadcrumbs are more common now that guided navigational techniques have come into vogue. And, designers use application breadcrumbs to denote the completed steps in a multi-step workflow, such as checkout.

Read the article: Design Cop-out #2: Breadcrumbs

What are your thoughts about breadcrumbs as a design cop out? We’d love to hear your thoughts about them below.