Structure should follow function

Group web page elements by how the visitor will use them

The visitor only cares about how he / she uses the page - and many users will not know the different types of page elements.

Make it easy to identify functional groups of page elements

Tie together all elements in a functional group by giving them a distinct visual identity, for example:

• Their own colour scheme - especially a distinctive background
• A shared border which groups them and separates them from the rest of the page.
• Their own font (possibly - it's not good to use too many fonts)

Are there any exceptions?

Not as far as we know.

Everyone has seen links embedded in content, for example:

• Links to pages you're using as examples or further explanations of a point.
• Links to help pages or dictionaries.
• Links to product or supplier details.

But such links are included to enable the visitor to get more use out of the content, not to enable the user to move around your site or to find something.
So we think they're not really exceptions. You might say that the content is multi-level and these links function as staircases.

Next page