depends first on the size of a site - if larger categories (target audiences for example) are there to structure, I prefer a horizontal menu for that and add a vertical for the sub-contents (pages, news etc.)
on smaller pages it all depends on the design. no personal preference
The main thing is, that users can click through your website, even if they dont start with the START of the website.
So i thing, horizontal Menus are good for primary links and vertical Menus should show secondary links!(If the Website got more than 1,2,3,4,5 pages! )
I tend to prefer horizontal menus for site-wide "highlights," or "most frequently viewed" pages, and vertical menus for overall site navigation. This lets people find the main points quickly while providing an overview of the site WITHOUT having to scroll or navigate through drop-down menus (for large-viewport users, anyway). Of course, the client is always right. :-)
"It has always been dependent on how much content I have/how many links. For larger sites with many pages I often find the vertical navigation to be the least confusing for users. For smaller sites with around 10 core pages I find that using a horizontal navigation can save some space for some meaningful content."
I totally agree with Levi, each content have it needs.
Chepi - 14 years ago
I find horizontal better suited for site-wide, really primary navigation. I tend to favour a vertical layout for contextual nav mostly. Again depending on context, sometimes the content calls for a mix, like dropdowns or the like.
It depends of course, some site simply require more items than horizontally possible.
It's safe to say they are a minority, so in reality option 2 would be true too, but that option sounds a little too random to me.
Ryan - 14 years ago
I have a tendency to use horizontal more often, but at the same time, I feel like it's better practice to use vertical, as it allows for future addition or removal of navigation items; in other words, it gives flexibility and sustainability, both of which are particularly important if you're designing for a client on a freelance basis, where the site has to be handed off at some point to client management.
It has always been dependent on how much content I have/how many links. For larger sites with many pages I often find the vertical navigation to be the least confusing for users. For smaller sites with around 10 core pages I find that using a horizontal navigation can save some space for some meaningful content.
david - 14 years ago
It really does depend, and varies from site to site. I probably do more horizontal ones than vertical ones these days. But for some sites vertical navigation fits better with the graphical style, or they can be more usefull because there is are more navigational items.
I use both, whichever is needed, but much prefer vertical. In my experience people find them easier to read and scan - and space between the links themselves is less of an issue. With horizontal, space is important otherwise they look weird or run together.
depends first on the size of a site - if larger categories (target audiences for example) are there to structure, I prefer a horizontal menu for that and add a vertical for the sub-contents (pages, news etc.)
on smaller pages it all depends on the design. no personal preference
The main thing is, that users can click through your website, even if they dont start with the START of the website.
So i thing, horizontal Menus are good for primary links and vertical Menus should show secondary links!(If the Website got more than 1,2,3,4,5 pages! )
horizontal, often with drop downs really help breed familiarity with the users, reminiscent of offline software
I tend to prefer horizontal menus for site-wide "highlights," or "most frequently viewed" pages, and vertical menus for overall site navigation. This lets people find the main points quickly while providing an overview of the site WITHOUT having to scroll or navigate through drop-down menus (for large-viewport users, anyway). Of course, the client is always right. :-)
"It has always been dependent on how much content I have/how many links. For larger sites with many pages I often find the vertical navigation to be the least confusing for users. For smaller sites with around 10 core pages I find that using a horizontal navigation can save some space for some meaningful content."
I totally agree with Levi, each content have it needs.
I find horizontal better suited for site-wide, really primary navigation. I tend to favour a vertical layout for contextual nav mostly. Again depending on context, sometimes the content calls for a mix, like dropdowns or the like.
It depends of course, some site simply require more items than horizontally possible.
It's safe to say they are a minority, so in reality option 2 would be true too, but that option sounds a little too random to me.
I have a tendency to use horizontal more often, but at the same time, I feel like it's better practice to use vertical, as it allows for future addition or removal of navigation items; in other words, it gives flexibility and sustainability, both of which are particularly important if you're designing for a client on a freelance basis, where the site has to be handed off at some point to client management.
It has always been dependent on how much content I have/how many links. For larger sites with many pages I often find the vertical navigation to be the least confusing for users. For smaller sites with around 10 core pages I find that using a horizontal navigation can save some space for some meaningful content.
It really does depend, and varies from site to site. I probably do more horizontal ones than vertical ones these days. But for some sites vertical navigation fits better with the graphical style, or they can be more usefull because there is are more navigational items.
I use both, whichever is needed, but much prefer vertical. In my experience people find them easier to read and scan - and space between the links themselves is less of an issue. With horizontal, space is important otherwise they look weird or run together.