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Navigation
What is Navigation?
Navigation refers to the system of links, menus, and pathways that allow users to move through and explore a website or application. It encompasses all the elements that help users understand where they are, where they can go, and how to get there. Good navigation is intuitive, consistent, and helps users accomplish their goals efficiently.
Navigation includes primary menus, secondary menus, breadcrumbs, search functionality, filters, pagination, and any other elements that facilitate movement through content. It serves as the roadmap for users, helping them build mental models of the site structure and find information quickly and easily.
EXPLORE UX design
Why is Navigation Important?
Navigation is important because it directly impacts user experience, task completion rates, and overall site usability. Poor navigation can lead to user frustration, increased bounce rates, and failed conversions. Good navigation helps users find information quickly, understand site structure, and feel confident in their ability to explore and return to important content.
Effective navigation also supports SEO by creating clear site structure and internal linking, helps users discover new content, and reduces support requests by making information easily findable. It's often the difference between a successful user experience and a frustrating one.
How to Design Effective Navigation?
To design effective navigation, use clear, descriptive labels that match users' mental models, organize content logically based on user needs and tasks, maintain consistency across all pages, provide multiple ways to find content (browsing and searching), and ensure navigation works well on all devices and screen sizes.
Best practices include limiting the number of main navigation items (7±2 rule), using familiar patterns and conventions, providing visual feedback for current location, implementing breadcrumbs for deep sites, testing navigation with real users, and ensuring accessibility for all users including those using assistive technologies.
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