Tired trend: Drop-down navigation menus

There was a time when drop-down menus were rampant across the web. You've probably seen them (and cursed at 'em), however, we're coming into a time when drop-downs are beginning to fade out of popularity in favor of simpler, more user-friendly navigation and content positioning.

Although there are times when drop-down navigation can be the best way to help a user navigate a site—possibly on a large, nebulous e-commerce site—drop-down navigation is often simply used as a crutch for poorly planned content. Usually, refining and streamlining the site's content would solve the problem in a much more user-friendly way.There are a host of reasons why drop-down navigation menus are on their way out the door. Here's a few of the most prominent reasons:

Drop-downs conceal users' options

By it's very nature, a drop-down is designed to hide additional options until activated. Because things are hidden, it reduces a user's ability to be able to scan the content. Once they decide to click on a menu item, they are often surprised that it triggers a drop-down, rather than the new page they were expecting. Consequently, this can be very frustrating for a user. Imagine you're navigating a website: after having made a decision to click on a nav item, you're anxiously awaiting to find the information you are looking for on the next page. However, instead of finding the information you're searching for, you're confronted with having to make another decision when a new menu drops down. This frustration is compounded when some sites add second or even third layers of drop-downs! Research shows that users "decide first, move second," which means they make a decision, then act on it. Instantly throwing up a second decision to be made can cause users to lose confidence in their decision making, question themselves, and ultimately give up on navigating the site.

Drop-down menus are difficult to use

We've all experienced the irritation of trying to click on a drop-down menu item. Drop-down menus are often extremely sensitive to mouse-overs. This means, you've gotta be in the exact correct place to click on the menu item or else the drop-down quickly scurries away, and you're faced with having to try again. This sensitivity is easily compounded, as drop-down navigation menus are notorious for acting different in different browsers. Although every site will differ slightly between browsers, it is especially tough to get all of the states of a drop-down to match properly across all browsers. The least user-friendly part of drop-down menus are that they are not as accessible for screen readers or users who have a low level of dexterity. Considering that over 25% of internet users have some sort of disability, accessibility is a very real fact to be considered.

Drop-down menus get in the way of browsing

Because of the sensitive, skittish nature of drop-down menus they often pop out when least expected. Often users "bump" the navigation when trying to get to other content, and the drop-downs fly out unexpectedly. This interrupts their flow of navigating the site and prohibits them from achieving what they are trying to do. Additionally, when a drop-down menu expands, it covers other content and obscures it from your user's view.In addition to these larger issues, there are several other peripheral issues posed by drop-down navigation:

• Drop-down navigation is not as SEO-friendly
• Drop-down menus are cumbersome to use on mobile devices (phones, tablets, etc.)
• Drop-down menus encourage navigation creep

How to avoid drop-down menus

So now that you're sold on the perils of drop-down navigation, how do you restructure your site to avoid using them? There are two steps you can take to avoid the dreaded drop-down.The first step is to have an honest-to-goodness, come-to-Jesus conversation about your website content. Is it all absolutely necessary for your users? Or is there a bunch of fluff content included to either pacify your internal team's inability to really refine the content or give the impression that you have lots to say (if you think more content equals more credibility, think again). You need to work hard to refine your content down to only what is necessary to your users. Now that the internet has invaded every nook and cranny of our lives, user are actively looking for companies whose websites give them exactly the info they need (and nothing more) in a concise, no-nonsense way.The second step is to implement a better way of navigating deeper sets of content. This can be done by using a category landing page. A category landing page enables you to give your user more information about their options, which helps them navigate smarter and make better (read: less frustrating) decisions.

More reading on this topic

• Users decide first
• Drop-down menu disadvantages
• The problem with drop-down menus in website navigation

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Why is visual consistency important to my design?

Why is visual consistency important to my brand? Branding expert Marty Neumeier explains in his book that a brand is not what you say it is, but that it is what your customer says it is. This means it is incredibly important that you are transmitting the values you want your customers to associate with your company. Once your customers start understanding what your company is really all about, it is important to continue to maintain that impression. This is where consistency comes in.

It is important to unify the entire customer experience so that it aligns with the company's values and mission. Your should do this not only for your visual design, but also at every customer touchpoint from the design of your retail or office space, all the way to how you treat your customers. President Obama's 2008 campaign branding is a great example of this consistency in action. Obama had a unique platform based on bringing change to our nation. To visually illustrate this concept, his marketing team worked to create a logo and overall visual look that was a radically departure from what most presidential campaign logos look like. To take it even further, President Obama's team demonstrated his mission in dozens of other ways, including the candid interactivity of his online presence, which attracted youthful, change-hungry supporters who rallied for him.Obama's marketing team took the core of his campaign and consistently reinforced it through every single touchpoint. Because of this, his mission occupied a distinct place in citizens' minds and drew like-minded supporters to him like a moth to a flame. No matter how small your organization is, you can achieve similar effects with your clientele by consistently reinforcing your brand through every opportunity you have—including every piece of visual design. This consistency helps develop brand recognition and fosters your customer's trust in your company. Over time, they come to know exactly what they'll get when they choose to work with you, and this reliable experience is what builds the loyalty that keeps them coming back over and over again.

Why aren't unlimited revisions included in your estimates?

I recently received an estimate for some design work, which included a set number of revisions. Why aren't unlimited revisions included in your estimates?

As a business in search of design help, it is completely understandable that you want to go into a new design project feeling confident that you'll end up with a finished product that achieves your goals. The thought of limitations can make you afraid that you won't be able to get the project finished the way you hope for. Rest assured that it is incredibly important to us that you are thrilled with the final result of your project. That being said, there are essentially two reasons we limit revisions on a project estimate: 1) to promote mutual trust and 2) to keep our business profitable. Let me delve into those two items a bit further.

Promoting trust

Typically, our clients come to us because we have expertise in creating something that they don’t have as much experience at. In order to have a healthy business relationship, our clients need to trust that we’re listening to them and working in their best interest to translate their vision into something that works for their users and for the medium they are using. Ultimately, a project needs to be about the end user (rather than any one individual’s personal opinions), and if we have our clients’ trust and understanding that we are working together to make something that communicates well to their user, there should be fewer revisions needed.

Staying profitable

All of our estimates are based on a certain number of hours that it typically takes us to create a specific deliverable. The unknown factor in a project is always how many changes are requested. Since our estimates are based on how much time we are investing, we can’t really include unlimited revisions because we need to make sure we don’t invest more time than we are being paid for. To attempt to meet out clients half way, I almost always include at least one round of revisions (because it is almost inevitable that there will be a least a few items that need tweaking). Additionally, we can always do as many revisions as needed for our clients. We’re not looking to rule our clients’ projects with an iron fist. However, it will cost more once we get past the quoted amount of revisions because, at that point, the project is taking more time than we’d estimated for. To sustain our business, we simply need to charge for that additional time.As a final note, we always want to try to get on the same page as our clients before beginning their projects. We truly want to understand your vision and work with you to translate it in the way that will engage your audience. We are always more than happy meet up with you before beginning a project to get to know each other in person and get on the same page about what you are looking for.

Why is branding important?

I keep hearing a lot of talk among other business owners about branding. Why is branding important for my business?

Branding is definitely an important element of building a business. If you're like me, the term "branding" probably brings up images in your mind of ranchers jabbing cattle with searing hot metal stamps. Well, that image actually isn't that far off—only we're looking to sear impressions of your company in the minds of your consumers.

Let me tell you a little story that illustrates brand loyalty at its finest.

I have a younger brother who insists that Hunt’s Ketchup is better than Heinz. He would whine and whine when he was forced to eat Heinz Ketchup on his hot dog or hamburger, so several years ago, my mom and I decided to test out whether he actually knew the difference between the two brands.One night at the dinner table, we performed a little taste test. I squeezed out a dollop of Heinz and a dollop of Hunt’s Ketchup onto a paper plate, and wrote their respective names on the underside of the plate. We had him give both brands a try. I’m sure you know what is coming next—he chose the wrong one. That’s right, he thought the Heinz tasted better than the Hunt’s brand. He insisted we cheated, and we insisted he never knew what he was talking about.The fact is the kid had an unshakable partiality to the Hunt’s brand. Such a partiality that he couldn’t even fess up to actually liking the other brand better.This is how consumers minds work. They acquire a strong affinity (or possibly, a disgust) toward a specific brand of product or service. And once that opinion is formed, it is pretty tough to change their minds no matter how many facts or features you offer them.This is why it is important for your brand to come out of the gates strong and work hard to maintain its consistently. Even the smallest companies can do this. It starts with solidly defining what you stand for and sticking to it. From there, you build the look and feel of the brand (designers will call this your “brand identity”) so that it reinforces your mission.As my brother’s story demonstrates, an impression of your company may never be able to be reversed. This is why it’s absolutely vital to make the investment to make sure your company makes a positive, professional impact from the start.