Seeking the Right Term for This Navigation Style
Navigational design plays a crucial role in crafting a user-friendly website, but with so many variations, it can be challenging to pinpoint the perfect name for a specific navigation style.
As designers, we often encounter various navigation components, each with its unique characteristics. However, finding an appropriate term that clearly distinguishes one type from another can be quite the challenge.
Ideally, we are looking for a name that not only captures the essence of this navigation style but is also easy to locate in online searches, whether on platforms like Google or design sites such as Dribbble.
If you have any insight or suggestions to help us categorize this specific navigation design, we would love to hear your thoughts! Your expertise could contribute significantly to refining the terminologies we use in our industry. Let’s collaborate to find that perfect name!
2 responses to “Is there an established term commonly used to describe this kind of Navigation?”
The navigation style you’re referencing in the image is often referred to as “Sidebar Navigation” or specifically, “Vertical Navigation.” This type of navigation is commonly used in web applications and administrative dashboards where vertical space is utilized efficiently to accommodate multiple links or features. It serves to provide users with an organized way to access different sections of a site without overwhelming them with too much information at once.
To differentiate this from other navigation types, it might also be beneficial to consider terms that highlight its unique attributes. Here are a few suggestions:
Collapsible Sidebar Navigation: If the navigation can be expanded or collapsed, this term is useful for searching designs that emphasize a clean, minimal interface.
Accordion Menu: If your sidebar uses accordions to categorize options further, this term may yield results that match your needs.
Sticky Sidebar Navigation: If the navigation remains fixed as the user scrolls through content, this term highlights that functionality and can lead to similar examples.
Dashboard Navigation: This term targets designs intended for admin panels or backend interfaces, which is especially relevant if the navigation is part of a content management system like WordPress.
Multi-level Sidebar Navigation: If your navigation allows for nested items (submenus), using this term can help you find examples that incorporate depth in their navigation hierarchy.
When searching for inspiration or similar components, consider using design platforms like Dribbble or Behance, but also look into user experience (UX) design blogs and forums. Websites like Awwwards and CSS-Tricks often highlight innovative navigation patterns and can provide useful resources or examples for your own design needs.
As you explore different designs, keep accessibility in mind. Ensure that the navigation is not only visually appealing but also user-friendly for individuals with varying abilities. Clear labeling, keyboard navigation, and appropriate contrast ratios enhance usability, making your site more accessible and user-friendly.
In summary, while “Sidebar Navigation” serves as a general term, testing variations like “Collapsible Sidebar Navigation” or “Dashboard Navigation” can refine your search and yield more specific results tailored to your needs.
This is an excellent discussion, and it highlights a critical aspect of web design that often gets overlooked—terminology. One term that might be fitting for this navigation style, depending on its characteristics, is “Contextual Navigation.” This term reflects a design approach where the navigation adapts based on user behavior or the specific context of what the user is viewing.
Moreover, there’s potential for more granular classifications, such as “Sticky Navigation” for fixed menus that remain visible while scrolling, or “Mega Menus” for more extensive, multi-column dropdowns that provide a visual hierarchy. Each category can not only enhance SEO but also help designers communicate effectively about their design choices.
Incorporating such terms into a shared vocabulary can also foster clearer discussions in our community. It would be interesting to see if other designers have encountered similar challenges and what terms they’ve developed to address them. Let’s keep the dialogue going to refine our industry’s language!