It has been remarked by many usability experts that some of the most usable websites out there are just not pretty.

Craig’s List is one solid example. The user can surely find what he or she is looking for, and Craig’s List wastes no time  on fancy graphics that get in the way. Find your city, find your category and go! (But the key here is “finding” what you want first.)

Some time back, I participated in a workshop at Forrester Research where web sites were reviewed based on how easily and intuitively a user would be able to complete the goal he or she set out to do. While the review does consider layout of elements and relevant links, it does not consider the amount of time it may take a user to complete his or her task.

Forrester often gave high marks to sites that I personally would find a bit overwhelming. Target.com was one of their big winners. If you are looking for brown bath towels, they are there, and can be found directly from the home page…once your eyes can settle on what’s important navigation and what is not.

I think the Forrester method is very valuable, but it has some faults. The biggest issue is that the method often assumes that your visitor knows you have what he or she is looking for. If this is true, then you are unlikely to have the problem of users leaving due frustration over clutter.

For big companies like Target and well-known sites like Craig’s List, a lot of links can keep all your visitors happy. They came to you for a specific reason, and they know they can pretty easily find it, although it may take a little more focus than if they were just browsing.

But for most of us will small, lesser-known sites, we need to focus more on a clear answer to the user’s goal. That means lose the clutter and get to the point, quickly.

I always advocate the clearest, simplest path from your landing page to the answers to a user’s questions, no matter what type of site. This generally means easy-to-understand navigation categories and directional cues throughout every page.