[thelist] Drop-down menu items
Andy Olsen
andyo at tds.net
Fri Jan 5 11:54:10 CST 2001
Answering my own question, here are some arguments:
Reasons to like the drop-down menu:
- Provides access to many pages on the site.
- Conserves screen space.
- Improves the image of the site, if properly implemented. Looks jazzy.
Jazzy is a design goal.
- It is not likely that an alternative menu system would provide all of
the site's 2nd 3rd level links on one page.
- Allows more cross-linking between sections.
Reasons not to like the drop-down menu:
- Improperly done, it's just confusing. (If headings not clear).
- Requires more clicks to see and choose the options.
- Implementation is different and unpredictable. (Some activated by click,
some by mouseover).
- Cascading menus (like Windoze Start button) are difficult to use. (No
plans to do this, though we could).
- The drop-downs hide much of the site from the user. They may never find
the pages if they don't look through the menu system.
Here's an article critical of these elements:
http://www.shorewalker.com/design/design116.html Mainly flyaways.
Would be interested in hearing more.
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