Are you redesigning your site or app and thinking about your new structure? Here’s a list of some of the important trends we’re currently seeing related to navigation and navigation systems. Hope this info is helpful!

 

1. The three click rule is dead.

“A path with 5 easy clicks is vastly superior to one with 3 difficult clicks.” – Jacob Neilson [link] Reducing the number of clicks, or steps a user takes, is only the right thing to do when it reduces the complexity of the overall experience.

 

2. Less is more

Whether you’re buying products or selecting an item to click, choosing from multiple options is taxing, and increases in difficulty as you add more options. [link] When possible, reduce the number of options you present to users in order to help them build momentum, feel smart, and make quick choices.

 

3. Use standard “layman’s” language

Link labels should be easy to understand.  A menu with 10 easily understood items is better than a menu with 7 obscure ones. Complex phrases and terms take longer to comprehend, and slow users down. Ensure your choice of labels are intuitive, distinct, and don’t mislead or over promise. Users should be able to confidently predict what they’ll get if they click. [link]

 

4. Make it ‘Feel’ fast & easy.

The real question is not how many items are there. Nor is it how many clicks does it take to get to your destination. The real question is “Does it feel easy?” Deliver an easy experience to users by being simple, understandable, and fast. This will make interacting with you an attractive proposition.

 

5. Think Multiplatform

Your users reach you from various different contexts and devices. Try to make life easier for them by considering ways you can leverage what you already know about each other from one channel to the next. Also look for ways to meet their unique needs, specific to each context and device. Ex. AT&T and Verizon both use a similar navigation on their mobile websites as their desktop sites (leveraging user familiarity). They also elevate ‘find a store’ which is appropriate for the on-the-go mobile user (context appropriateness).

 

6. Content-heavy dropdowns

Many sites use larger navigation dropdowns to give users a sense of the depth of content and the latest and most popular items. The most successful examples have clear structures that do not vary greatly from one panel to the other. Ex. Mini Usa

 

7. Login is on the right, near the top

We read left to right, top to bottom, making the top corners of any screen important real estate. But, whatever the original reason (it’s self-perpetuating now) most websites have the login form on the right-hand side of the page. Therefore, if you’re striving for the goal of “don’t make me think,” It’s a good idea to put login on the right near the top.

 

8. Context aware navigation

As technology evolves, we continue to see new exciting ways to customize and personalize user experiences. Available data points, like location, current page, clicksteam, and saved personal information help power these contextual customizations. Navigation is one of many places we can use this data to make things feel easier, smarter, and faster.

 

Thoughts on these? Anything else you think should be included? Let us know in the comments!