01 / THE IDEA
What does it mean?
Information scent is how well a label and its surrounding cues tell people what they are likely to find. Use words that describe the destination in terms people would look for.
02 / IN PRACTICE
Make it concrete.
Illustrative example: A navigation item says “Invoices and payments” rather than an ambiguous “Manage.”
03 / WHAT TO WATCH FOR
A common mistake.
Using clever labels that make people guess what a section contains.
04 / WHEN IT HELPS
When should you use it?
When users repeatedly click the wrong navigation destination.
05 / FURTHER READING
Explore the source.
Nielsen Norman Group — Information Scent ↗A reference for further learning, not an endorsement or verbatim quotation.