Efficient electronic navigation: A metaphorical question?

► The effect of interface metaphor on website navigation is explored. ► The examination of metaphor focuses on spatiality and familiarity of the source domain. ► Navigation performance is facilitated more by the degree of familiarly perceived in the structure of the metaphor than the spatial characteristics of the metaphor. ► This has implications for the design of hypertext material, especially where the ability to locate information and recall it accurately is important than navigation speed.