We work with companies and businesses across Manchester, and the surrounding area, including Wigan and Southport, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester, designing and creating stunning website solutions. Designing the perfect navigation menu is one of the most important considerations for any website, and a slimline vertical option can be an unusual and effective choice. But what is this type of menu? And why should you consider it?
What are slimline vertical menus?
So, what exactly are these menus? Well. these are thin menu bars that are displayed vertically down the left hand side of the page, and are often called skinny or slimline vertical menus. This adds an element of interest and attracts website users to take a closer look, just because the menu is in an unusual place. But there are some design considerations that can have an important effect on the overall result, and the success of the slimline vertical menu.
What are the considerations for slimline vertical menus?
To make sure your slimline vertical menu will be successful, you should consider:
- Using effective icons- slimline vertical menus are too small to use words to label the sections of your navigation bar. This means that you will need to rely on effective and suitable icons instead. You should use icons that are instantly recognizable and easily distinguished from one to another, to prevent confusion for your potential customers. All your icons need to be same size, and the same style too, for additional effectiveness.
- Using a fold out option- when a user clicks on one of the icons, defining a navigation category, a fold out option can be a good idea. This can then list the pages in the usual way, again to make things easier for the user, and improve the user experience.
- Using effective colours- you could opt to use your secondary or tertiary colour for the background of your navigation bar. This can help it stand out against any background image, illustration or design, while staying with the boundaries of your company branding. You will also need to use a contrasting colour for the icon design, so that the icons can easily be seen and understood by your potential customers or clients.
Slimline vertical menus and responsive design
When it comes to responsive design, its important for your website to look just as good on a mobile device, as it does on a desktop. But its also important to conserve space on the screen so that your users can easily access and read the information and content. This means that you could consider:
- Using a slide out menu- show a slim strip of colour down the left hand side, with an arrow to indicate sliding out, and then the menu can be accessed when needed, and stay off the screen when it isn’t.
- Using a hamburger menu- hide the navigation bar behind a menu icon and save even more space. However, you will lose out on the originality and unique design that makes your website interesting and attractive.
For more information or advice, or for professional web design support, get in touch with Manchester’s leading web design experts today, here at Pumpkin Web Design Manchester.