What is the best way to design a restaurant menu (i.e. food and drink as opposed to navigation)?
Each entry on the menu would need to include a reference number, name and price. If I were designing in print I would use a table (three columns and multiple rows) to achieve the design I want. I would note at this point that I adhere to standards-based coding.
I would like to produce a menu with a uniform design layout, that indexes well with search engines and is sympathetic to accessibility.
Should I use a table in this instance? Would using a table inhibit search engine indexing? Would a table handicap or benefit a user using a screen-reader?
A table sounds like absolutely the right choice. You’ve got data there that’s linked by column headings, and rows of related information – that’s exactly what a table is! Tables are accessible to search engines and assistive technology – the problems only start when people misuse tables to create a grid based layout, where the different elements aren’t related to each other the way by rows and columns, and that’s when search engines and other accessibility tools are liable to misinterpret the code.