- • Remove most links within page content. Let users rely consistently on getting around via the navigation bar. This will make individual pages seem more like destinations rather than simply pointers to other destinations.
- • • Ensure that the categories listed in the navigation bar encompass of the site's functions. Presently, it is not clear that they do, which creates uncertainty about the site's size and functions.
- • Attach mouse-over tips to category and function names to tell users what to expect from each function before they go to it.
- • Have a button on the Personal Nutrition Planner that links back to Meals Matter so that users do not have to click their browser's back key to return, and are never more than one click away from returning.
- • Link nutrition information about specific foods to background information about why this is important. For example, if a user is reading in the functional foods section that walnuts contain "monounsaturated fatty acids, protein, fiber, and magnesium," provide them one-click access to information about why they should care about this (e.g., why these ingredients are important to health, at various stages in life). The same access to this nutritional information should be as easily available if they are browsing a recipe with walnuts in it.
- • Make it possible to fully execute the completion of a cookbook, shopping list, or meal plan directly from the tool itself (e.g., the cookbook tool, shopping list tool, and meal plan tool). Do not require that the user leave the tool in order to populate it with recipes. If this is not possible, at least make it clear to them that they are only creating shells and have to go out of them and to a different part of the website to put recipes in them.

####### CONCLUSIONS

Think of your user population as composed of essentially two types of individuals: 1) those who have the time and predisposition to avail themselves of leisurely browsing the site and using the various personal organization tools, and 2) those who do not have the time or predisposition to use the tools, and are going to want to use the site quickly and strategically. The first group is the group that will benefit the most from registering. The second group is unlikely to use the additional functionality afforded by registration and should be made aware that there is much on the site to interest them without registering.

At this point, the site is more tenable to the leisurely user with time on their hands than to the strategic user with limited time. This is because the site's design requires users to do lots of navigating, browsing, and attending to extraneous issues such a photo-attaching. All of these distract and slow down the process of accessing the critical components about food and nutrition. Hence, make the interface as easy as possible for users to quickly find what they're looking for about foods and nutritional value. This means...

- • that they should be able to find recipes through searches on nutrition topics and find nutrition information by searching on recipes
- • that the site should be restructured to make it easier to add recipes and other content to the various organizing tools (cookbook, shopping list, pantry, and

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