E-newspaper Navigation - Designing navigational aids for a new electronic medium

Abstract: In this paper we examine the need of navigational aids when designing interfaces for e-newspapers – newspapers presented on a digital paper built on E-Ink technology. By reviewing literature on navigation, and by handling input from both newspaper designers and potential e-newspaper adopters, we have suggested a number of navigational aids for the future e-newspaper. Our suggestions have been tested through a prototype using a modification of the Cooperative Usability Testing model (CUT) on a total of fifteen potential users. The results show that most users prefer a linear organization of the e-newspaper. To render a sense of depth in this flat medium, page-numbering is essential. Several different interaction possibilities will also be needed to ease the navigation and our suggestions include a blend of page-turning and hyper linking, combined with an index to give the user a better overview of the content.