The 4 principles of navigation. A simple guide for product teams

All living beings are in constant movement. There is a clear need in the act of moving from one place to another. We see this happening across different species, with movement varying in distance and purpose. For some animals, the act of moving could happen from one tree to another, and for others it could be thousands of kilometers across continents.
We humans are not the exception. Our habits have changed over time, transitioning from nomads to farmers; from founding our first civilizations, to the arrival of the Industrial Revolution. These changes brought incomparable development to our societies, impacting our behavior as a consequence. Moving, without a doubt, has been a constant factor during our history.

In today’s societies, this phenomenon is happening on a different level. We move from home to work every day, travel to different countries, or on a smaller scale, just go for a nice walk in the park. Navigation is present in our lives and even more interestingly, it has already crossed the borders of the physical world into the new realities we interact with — the digital experiences.
As Product Designers/Managers, we are responsible for building successful digital journeys, and a key part of achieving this is to understand fundamental patterns rooted in our behavior as a species. Let’s go for it!