Glossary
Wayfinding
What is wayfinding?
Wayfinding is determining and following a path through an environment, such as a building, city, website, or application. In UX, it includes the cues that help people orient themselves and navigate.
Useful wayfinding questions
- Where am I? Page titles, breadcrumbs, and current-location indicators can help identify the location.
- Where can I go? Clear labels and navigation can show available routes.
- How do I get back? Consistent navigation and understandable paths can help people recover.
- Have I arrived? A clear destination or confirmation helps show that the task is complete.
Identification, orientation, route decisions, and arrival are useful ways to examine the experience. The cues needed depend on the structure and task.
Example
An online shop could combine categories, breadcrumbs, and a clear checkout confirmation. Testing can show whether people find the next step and recover from a wrong turn.
Why it matters
Wayfinding helps people understand their location and options. A route that is obvious to its designer may still leave the user asking, “Where am I?”