cmarshall - 1:01 pm on Jan 29, 2008 (gmt 0)

In most cases, I think they are helpful. As THE BLOB ;) has pointed out, redundancy is a key element of usability.

I don't always use them, however. They imply hierarchy, and not all sites benefit from a hiearchical approach, such as most wikis, and many sites that allow the user to specify the organization (like with searches).

They can also add complexity. In some sites, we are best off reducing visual complexity. Google got famous for having one text box and a couple of buttons in the middle of the screen.

I do a lot of WordPress [wordpress.org] mods, and WP doesn't include breadcrumbs in its nav. I think it needs them, and I'll probably write a plugin (or find one already written) to provide them.

By the way, Blob; thanks for the link [psychology.wichita.edu]. Useful site. I was not aware of it previously.