Fix navigation for a better user experience.

[Vitalius]

The following is a response to another thread that I figure deserved it's own thread.

Quote

On 10/20/2016 at 4:36 PM, colonel_mortis said:

https://linustechtips.com/main/discover/58/

On 10/20/2016 at 4:37 PM, dexxterlab97 said:

Now I feel stupid. But still would it be nice to have a bit bigger one on front page?

I wouldn't feel stupid. The site's layout is very... convoluted? (not sure if adequate description)

Generally, it feels confusing to try and find something you know exists at times because menus change depending on where you are. I've noticed the Navigation pane changes depending on where you are. I've had trouble finding Member Search multiple times. And each time I've found it has been a different way.

To illustrate @colonel_mortis, I only know how to get to Member Search and "My Activity Stream" by doing the following:

1. Go to staff page.
2. Edit URL to https://linustechtips.com/main/members because I hoped that was a thing since /staff was.
3. By doing that, Navigation changes from Forums - Community Standards - Staff - More into All Activity - My Activity Streams - Search. 
4. Click Search.

I'm sure there's a "right way". I'm also sure it's a very poor User Experience if I can't easily find that "right way". It's also the only way I know how to access my Activity Stream. I could go to the User Link Menu (click your name/avatar in the top right), then My Activity, but those aren't the same pages. 

I recommend adding those three to the "main" Navigation bar. it has plenty of room for them for me and my browser is currently using 720p only, so it should have plenty of space for anyone with a 720p or greater monitor.

I realize the "Go to Staff page" step is unnecessary, but that's the first approach I took. I expected the Navigation Menu to change because I vaguely remembered getting to Member Search from it before. I just included it to show you why I tried #2.

The concept of a website changing it's navigation depending on where you are in it is only a good idea, imo, if the location has something the rest of the website doesn't. i.e. If you are in a different permissions area and have more or difference choices in what you can do. If you're in a section of the website where something only works there. That type of thing.

Doing it for what appears to be an arbitrary reason like "You aren't .... anywhere?" is strange to me. 

Please fix this. I shouldn't have to go through two web pages to access a core feature like Search or My Activity Streams. It's not about being lazy as a user. It's that that's just not good web design and it doesn't create an enjoyable user experience.

The fact that that is the process I used to find Search is, imo, indicative of another deeper problem. But that's a post for another thread/time.

[LogicalDrm]

Member search is part of normal search. So instead of searching content, you select to search members.

 

I don't think Activity is problem on desktop layout, but on mobile getting to default stream is way too many clicks.

[Vitalius]

3 hours ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

Member search is part of normal search. So instead of searching content, you select to search members.

 

I don't think Activity is problem on desktop layout, but on mobile getting to default stream is way too many clicks.

Valid point. That's the other way I found it once. Activity Stream is still out of the way, and having a separate search function in general as a navigation option is strange.

OK, so how am I supposed to get to Activity Stream from the main page?

[LogicalDrm]

1 hour ago, Vitalius said:

Valid point. That's the other way I found it once. Activity Stream is still out of the way, and having a separate search function in general as a navigation option is strange.

OK, so how am I supposed to get to Activity Stream from the main page?

Default one is link just under profile options right side of page. On desktop. On mobile its side menu to Activity to my activity streams to scroll down. If its custom like mine.

[Vitalius]

16 minutes ago, LoGiCalDrm said:

Default one is link just under profile options right side of page. On desktop.

That's not the same page at all.

The one you mention is this one (for me): https://linustechtips.com/main/profile/2414-vitalius/content/

The one I mention is this one: https://linustechtips.com/main/discover/unread/

[colonel_mortis]

I agree that accessing sections like that is less obvious than it should be, and it is something that will be changing in the next major theme update. However, due to time constraints and a few other reasons, it might be a long time before the update is released.

For now, the top level navigation is displayed when you click "Community".

[Vitalius]

1 hour ago, colonel_mortis said:

I agree that accessing sections like that is less obvious than it should be, and it is something that will be changing in the next major theme update. However, due to time constraints and a few other reasons, it might be a long time before the update is released.

For now, the top level navigation is displayed when you click "Community".

That's good to hear. 

See, and I wouldn't have even thought to try that menu because usually when there's a drop down like that, whatever you would select is not what is currently selected. So if I consider my activity feed to be part of the community (which it is, since it's activity happening within the community), I'm already selecting the thing I want.

That's part of the reason, but the other part is that that drop down is different from the "More" drop down, and I did not recognize it as a drop down until just now. Though I seem to have some time in the past. 

I'm like 90% sure I've clicked it before though and seen activity in it, which is partly user error, but the UI doesn't lend itself to easily remembering where things are either imo. 

Thanks for the response.