First task in a new job, work out how to deal with a navigation system that consists of five levels, yes that’s right five levels, which is technically known as quinary navigation. The initial three levels are dealt with by using tabs and research shows that users don’t want to use tabs to get any further down in to the content.
Suggestion One - More tabs
Maybe the user research is wrong, why not try more tabs to avoid the uncomfortable introduction of a side navigation. The sense in this comes from the separation of the main navigation (in pride of place sitting across the top of the page) from the inpage/incontent local navigation. This approach allows the site to feel more shallow than it really is because the user never leaves the section landing page when looking at content buried two levels below it.
Suggestion Two - Don’t tell anyone
Build the navigation into the content, using contextual and related information links the user can browse and navigate around the content using their back button and cunning little “back” links at the bottom of each page of content. In reality this approach seems flawed as there is no structure around the user’s journey, but carefully placed trigger words could allow us to persuade and even guide the user to the content they’re after. This method will need further consideration and planning to make sure the journeys are correctly aligned with the user’s needs.
Suggestion Three - Tabs and a Lightbox
Using the tabs method to display the quaternary (do you like it?) navigation and then allow content below this to be displayed in lightbox content areas over the main page. A pretty controversial method as in my opinion the user journey is broken by the pop up nature of the lightbox, added to the fact that there is no way to navigate inside the lightbox content leaving the user with closing the lightbox as the only action after having read a captivating piece of information that makes them want to do something right now. So, how about a compromise? Why not put the tabs within the light box and allow the user to navigate around the lightbox content based on the fourth level (yeah I got bored of that too) section, with simple language to explain to the user that they return to the main section or exit in to a completely new area by selecting a link from the right hand related links area. This could work as it makes the lightbox a little more flexible.
Conclusion
I guess it’s down to the client now, I’m not hugely sold on any particular method. The problem in reality is that we’re trying to fit a whole website in to another one where it would be better off as standalone site. But therein lies the challenge!!
