Why do website designers need to plan navigation and hypertext links?

Website designers must plan navigation and hypertext links to manage the transition from linear, traditional text to a dynamic, nonlinear network of information. Unlike print media, which follows a static sequence, websites rely on a branching structure that allows users to jump directly between related content chunks.1

Strategic planning is essential for several reasons:

• Meaning-Making: Designers use links to create a "web of connectivity," integrating multimodal elements like graphics, audio, and text to produce complex meaning.2
• User Accessibility: Because hypertext allows for virtually unlimited pathways, clear navigation ensures users can easily access specific information and trace their steps back through the content.12
• Managing Ephemerality: Since dynamic hypertexts can be continuously altered or reconfigured, thoughtful design helps maintain structure and usability in an environment where content might otherwise become difficult to retrieve.2

By organizing information into smaller, related pieces, designers ensure that the nonlinear nature of the web remains intuitive, allowing users to navigate vast arrays of data efficiently.1