The purpose of navigation?
popstalin (17 pencils) | Fri, 2006-05-05 12:56We are having a debate at work about navigation. There is one line of thinking that the left nav is just there to push content that you want visitors to see (if you have a top nav). Another thinks it is additional items of importance but not as important as the top nav sections.
How do you feel about this issue? What are you thoughts on navigation?
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Jen
Pop Stalin Design
http://www.popstalin.com
Commenting on this Forum topic is closed.
Im sort of on the same wavelength as you but it does depend on the site design most importantly.
With blog sites, and very content sites like news magazine sites etc...
Top : Global Navigation, and the main building boxes for a site
Side's: Secondary Navigation, items that are relevant to the page you're looking at
Of course this is very much a vague guideline, it just seems this is the way most websites with a lot of content tend to deal with their stuff.
Rule of thumb : If somethings important, make sure its well seen and does constrast from the rest of the site layout. Common sense eh?
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I guess I was just taken aback by my co-workers comment because I had never heard of such a thing. I have always thought of a two-tiered nav system as you stated. I don't know that I've ever heard of a left nav being considered a tool to push content you want people to see.
Jen
Pop Stalin Design
http://www.popstalin.com
Even though I've said the left is for secondary, it really does depend on the design of the site your working with...
In some designs, a left panel can be used to push for adverts, extras or whatever... the answer is, what works best for the design and the users...
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agree, top for main navigation, side for links relevant to the main content, or context tools.
but in my opinion a right bar is more useable then a left bar.
in the case of a 3 column design, i always try to have the 3rd (right) column contain links relevant to the content (middle column) or tools like print the page, reccomend to a friend, etc. while on the 1st column i always opt to have blocks from other parts of the site, not necesarily related to the content.
for example, lets say the content is the review of a game.
i will then have on the right column things like screenshots, ratings, cheats, other similar games, other reviews. while on the left part i will have things like news, polls, gadgets, etc.
and, when designing a page, whenever i can fit the main menu horizontally, i go for it. i dont even try to arrange it vertically.
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always outnumbered, never outgunned
The nav that pushes content that you want people to see that isn't necessarily related to the top or left nav's but certainly related to the content on the page.
Often with the sites I work on at work, not in freelance, we are quite fond of the the 3 column layout. We put so much navigation on our sites that I can't begin to know how the average internet user can figure it out.
Jen
Pop Stalin Design
http://www.popstalin.com