The vertical menu on the left-hand side of most WMS pages is an important way for visitors to navigate a site, but perchance,听it can make sense to remove it in order to simplify the user experience.
What determines when this is a good decision or not? As Shakespeare would say, 鈥淭hough this be madness, yet there is method in't.鈥澨�
A听good scenario听would be a primary landing page that clearly recreates what would be the vertical menu听through the use of other navigational elements such as听blocks. Leaving the vertical menu in place would be fine, but the duplication would be redundant and... "therein lies the rub."
Removing the vertical menu would:
- Allow you to take advantage of the space freed up on the left-hand side of the page so that the content in the Body has more room to breathe
- Allow your visitors to scan the page more quickly in order to funnel them where they need to go efficiently and effectively
After all,听鈥渂revity is the soul of wit.鈥�
Here听are some good examples where the vertical navigation on a top-level page was reproduced within various template blocks:
- Biomedical Engineering Current Students听鈥� List blocks
- Desautels MCCHE 鈥� Statement block and Call to action blocks
- IT Services ITS Strategic Plan听鈥� Statement blocks
- Student Accounts Awards and Financial Assistance听鈥� Statement block
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The next time you're reorganizing your content, think about simplifying the menu structure and whether your landing page could benefit from removing the vertical menu.
If you think your page fits the bill,听just submit a request through the and the Web Services Group will make an assessment听鈥� eliminating the vertical menu听if warranted 鈥� as听in Shakespeare's words,听鈥渟weets to the sweet.鈥�
