What is information scent and how does it guide navigation labeling?

• A. The perceived usefulness of a link or menu title in guiding users to desired content.
• B. The color and font used in navigation labels.
• C. The perceived usefulness of a link or menu title in guiding users to desired content; use clear, consistent labels.
• D. The length of the labels in the navigation.

Answer: (C)

Information scent is about how strongly a link label hints at what you’ll find after you click, guiding you to the right place. When navigation labels clearly describe the destination and use consistent terminology, users can predict where a link will take them and move through the site more efficiently. That’s why the best phrasing combines the idea of usefulness (labels help users reach desired content) with a rule to use clear, consistent labels so the path through the site is easy to follow.

The other ideas miss part of this picture: focusing on color or font ignores the label’s meaning, and focusing on length or just usefulness without guidance on consistent labeling doesn’t provide reliable navigation cues.