A study of nine different image maps from World Wide Web home pages was conducted to evaluate their effectiveness in information display and access, relative to visual, navigational, and practical characteristics. Nine independent viewers completed 20-question surveys on the image maps, in which they evaluated the characteristics of the maps on a 1-10 scale ascending from disagree to agree. When a viewer's purpose is to locate specific information, functionality is the most important characteristic of effective image map design. Other factors that contribute to effective informational image maps include: simple graphics that load quickly, smaller image sizes, clearly designated "hot spots" or hyperlinks, unified rather than scattered grouping, icons that accurately represent information, design structure that models the structure of the information, limited number of layers and choices, and site-specific help options. When entertainment is the purpose of the image map, different design guidelines may be applicable. A web designer must consider the balance between artistic and functional demands. (Contains 16 references.) (SWC)