One of the most interesting things about complex apps is that the navigation itself can be designed to support users’ mental model of the entire experience, thereby increasing engagement and decreasing potential user frustration.

復雜應用程序最有趣的事情之一是導航本身可以設計為支持用戶整個體驗的心理模型，從而增加參與度并減少潛在的用戶沮喪感。

Let me explain.

讓我解釋。

信息架構就是您的應用 (Information Architecture IS your app)

Navigation is the core of your app’s Information Architecture. And IA, despite what you might think, is extremely sexy.

導航是應用程序信息體系結構的核心。 不管您怎么想， IA 都非常性感 。

Well-thought-through IA solves many many problems including, for the sake of this article:

經過深思熟慮的IA解決了許多問題，就本文而言，包括：

• How users understand the purpose of your app and what it can do
  用戶如何理解您的應用程序的目的及其用途
• How they perceive what they might want to do with it and when
  他們如何看待他們可能想要做什么以及何時
• How quickly and easily they can complete those tasks
  他們完成這些任務的速度和便捷程度
• How flexible a single design is — or how complicated it needs to become to meet their needs
  單個設計的靈活性-或滿足其需求需要變得多么復雜
• Whether they will bother with it at all in the long run
  從長遠來看，他們是否會為此煩惱

In short, it holds your entire app together. And the more complex the set of functionality, the more you need it.

簡而言之，它將整個應用程序整合在一起。 功能集越復雜，您就越需要它。

示例：電子學習應用 (Example: eLearning app)

Here’s an example from a relatively complex eLearning app I worked on.

這是我工作過的一個相對復雜的電子學習應用程序的示例。

When I joined the project, there were no requirements and no IA work at all. The less said about that the better, but needless to say, looking at the initial prototype it was hard to even work out what the app was for, because the CTAs in the primary nav linked to random collections of content and activities.

當我加入該項目時，沒有任何要求，也沒有IA工作。 說得越少越好，但不用說，看看初始原型，甚至很難弄清楚該應用程序的用途，因為主要導航中的CTA與內容和活動的隨機集合相關。

However, once the requirements, acceptance criteria and functionality plan was in place, we revisited the IA.

但是，一旦要求，驗收標準和功能計劃到位，我們就會重新審查IA。

關鍵任務和功能 (Key tasks and functionality)

For this eLearning app, there was the following basic functionality (in no particular order..yet):

對于此電子學習應用程序，具有以下基本功能(尚無特殊順序。)

• Lists of tasks and activities
  任務和活動清單
• A library of content and inspiration
  內容和靈感庫
• A user account
  用戶帳號
• User performance data exposed to the user as “achievements”
  作為“成就”向用戶展示的用戶績效數據
• The ability to complete a task or series of tasks.
  完成一項或多項任務的能力。

Pretty basic stuff for an eLearning app, and yet we were totally failing at communicating the app’s primary purpose and tools.

電子學習應用程序的基本知識，但是我們在交流應用程序的主要目的和工具方面完全失敗了。

了解用戶的心理模型 (Understanding users’ mental model)

In this case of eLearning, we are lucky that there is a lot of eLearning-specific UX content and research out there.

在這種情況下，我們很幸運，這里有很多特定于電子學習的UX內容，并在那里進行了研究。

This formed the basis of the mental model we constructed for this app. Combined, of course, with primary research into the core audience and usability testing as we iterated.

這構成了我們為此應用程序構建的心理模型的基礎。 當然，與迭代過程中對核心受眾的初步研究和可用性測試相結合。

As expected, users come to the app with the expectation of being able to perform various tasks:

正如預期的那樣，用戶來到該應用程序時期望能夠執行各種任務：

1. Complete a quick daily learning exercise
   完成快速的日常學習練習
2. Review progress
   審查進度
3. Access additional content/inspiration
   訪問其他內容/靈感
4. View or amend their account.
   查看或修改他們的帳戶。

What is obvious when looking at these is that they each come with different “asks” from the user in terms of time, focus and attention.

當查看這些內容時，很明顯的是，它們在時間，重點和注意力方面都帶有不同的“要求”。

This was reflected in the research and in the subequent mental models created.

這反映在研究和隨后建立的心理模型中。

There are a number of things we can take from this.

我們可以從中得到很多東西。

1. There are two short tasks — one low attention/focus (complete a quick and easy learning task) and one high attention/focus (manage my account). For these tasks users will want to get in and out of the app quickly.
   有兩個簡短的任務-一個低注意力/重點(完成一項快速簡單的學習任務)和一個高注意力/重點(管理我的帳戶)。 對于這些任務，用戶將希望快速進入和退出應用程序。
2. There are two longer tasks which both have a medium level of attention. Users will spend slightly more time here and be in a medium level of focus.
   有兩個較長的任務，都需要中等程度的關注。 用戶將在這里花費更多的時間，并處于中等水平。

這意味著： (This means that:)

1. We need to make it super easy for users to complete a learning task with the minimal effort — open app, task is presented — complete task. And we need to make sure that users wanting to complete a quick task (learning or account) are not accidentally dropped into high dwell-time locations as this may cause frustration.
   我們需要使用戶以最小的努力輕松完成學習任務-打開應用程序，提出任務-完成任務。 并且我們需要確保希望完成快速任務(學習或帳戶)的用戶不會意外掉入高停留時間的位置，因為這可能會導致沮喪。
2. Locations or moments where users want to spend more time should be more engaging and focus on a range of tasks, screens or interactions— not do one thing and go.
   用戶想要花費更多時間的位置或時刻應該更具吸引力，并專注于一系列任務，屏幕或互動，而不是一勞永逸。

Therefore there was an argument for basing the primary navigation directly on the mental model. Which is what we did.

因此，有一個論點是將主要導航直接基于心理模型。 這是我們所做的。

Note: I am not including the full sitemap here for obvious confidentiality reasons, however it’s worth saying that although there are ways for the user to travel between sections of the app, it was designed so that each of the four areas could function and support a standalone task within the mental model.

注意：出于明顯的機密性原因，我并未在此處包括完整的站點地圖，但是值得一提的是，盡管用戶可以通過多種方式在應用程序的各個部分之間旅行，但其設計目的是使四個區域中的每個區域都可以起作用并支持心理模型中的獨立任務。

為什么這對用戶有用 (Why this worked for users)

The main reason this worked was that the navigation was aligned to users’ understanding of eLearning apps and their mental model for this particular product. Every time they opened the app, it was able to quickly answer their need at that moment — and at any moment — with one single design.

起作用的主要原因是導航與用戶對電子學習應用程序及其針對該特定產品的思維模型的理解保持一致。 每次他們打開該應用程序時，它都可以在一個時刻(任何時候)以單一設計快速滿足他們的需求。

User picks up phone.

用戶拿起電話。

User opens app with one task in mind.

用戶打開應用程序時會記住一個任務。

It is simple to find the starting point to that task from the primary nav.

從主導航中找到該任務的起點很簡單。

Upon task completion, if mindset changes, user can easily switch to alternative task.

任務完成后，如果心態發生變化，用戶可以輕松切換到替代任務。

The IA strategy also respected their available time and focus and aligned itself to their needs.

IA的策略還尊重他們的可用時間和精力，并使其與他們的需求保持一致。

It respects the user.

它尊重用戶。

There’s nothing worse that an app that keeps shouting at you to do something fun, when actually you really need to update your credit card details.

沒有什么比這更糟糕的了，當您確實需要更新您的信用卡詳細信息時，會不斷向您大喊大叫做一些有趣的事情。

為什么這對產品團隊有用 (Why this worked for the product team)

As an additional benefit, by quickly answering users needs, the app then has permission to invite the user to re-engage with the primary app purpose or action. In short, it utilises the Next Best Action framework.

另外一個好處是，通過快速回答用戶的需求，該應用程序便具有邀請用戶重新參與主要應用程序目的或操作的權限。 簡而言之，它利用了Next Best Action框架 。

As you can see, understanding user needs and translating them through the IA into the primary navigation gives the app a solid task-based foundation that supports user and business needs.

如您所見，了解用戶需求并將其通過IA轉換為主要導航，為該應用程序提供了一個基于任務的堅實基礎，可支持用戶和業務需求。

It also ensures that there is a strong structure to contain any future content or functionality — it should (never assume) prevent product bloat — so long as there is, and continues to be, a strong understanding of and respect for users and their mental models.

它還可以確保有一個牢固的結構來包含將來的任何內容或功能-它應該(永遠不會假設)防止產品膨脹-只要并繼續對用戶及其心理模型有深刻的理解和尊重。