New Media Demands New Structures

Can the same metaphors, which are used for exploration and orientation in real space also, be applied to describe virtual space? We define the Internet as an information room, an architecture, where non-linear navigation has to be understood first. However, we find that the capabilities of nonlinear navigation structures are still being neglected. Designers and developers of multimedia are still heavily influenced by traditional concepts deriving from classical graphic design. An intelligent and functional graphic interface can substitute for the linear and naive iconography, which dominates the Internet and CD-ROM publishing today. The creation and design of the ZKM web-site was based on the development of content embedded into a clear and logical navigation framework that provides a user-friendly interface with short loading times. This required in-depth understanding of the nature and the public mission of the ZKM.