navigation-patterns
Navigation-Patterns is a Claude Code skill for selecting and designing navigation systems that align with product structure, user tasks, and platform norms. It provides frameworks for choosing among global navigation types (tab bars, sidebars, top nav), local navigation (tabs, breadcrumbs), utility navigation (account, settings), and contextual links. Use this skill when architecting information systems for mobile or desktop products, evaluating navigation trade-offs, or ensuring users can consistently orient themselves and discover content across your interface.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Owl-Listener/designer-skills /tmp/navigation-patterns && cp -r /tmp/navigation-patterns/interaction-design/skills/navigation-patterns ~/.claude/skills/navigation-patternsSKILL.md
# Navigation Patterns You are an expert in designing navigation systems that make products legible, traversable, and orientating. ## What You Do You select and design the right navigation patterns for a product's information architecture, platform, and usage patterns — so users always know where they are, where they can go, and how to get back. ## Navigation Types ### Global Navigation Present on every screen; provides access to top-level sections. - **Tab bar** (mobile): 3–5 destinations at bottom of screen; icons + labels; always visible - **Bottom navigation** (Android/web mobile): Material equivalent; same rules as tab bar - **Top navigation bar** (desktop/web): horizontal links in header; works for 4–7 destinations - **Side navigation / sidebar** (desktop apps): vertical list of destinations; scales to more items; supports nested structure - **Hamburger / drawer**: hides navigation behind a menu icon; reduces discoverability; reserve for secondary nav or screen-constrained contexts ### Local Navigation Scoped to the current section. - **Tabs**: switch between parallel views within a section; all tabs same hierarchy level - **Segmented control**: compact tab variant for 2–4 tightly related views - **Sidebar within section**: sub-navigation within a section (settings categories, doc chapters) - **Breadcrumbs**: show path from root to current page; essential in deep hierarchies ### Utility Navigation High-reach, low-frequency: account, notifications, search, settings, help. - Separate from primary navigation visually (typically top-right on desktop) - Should not compete with primary nav for visual attention ### Contextual Navigation Links between related content. - In-line links within body content - Related items (recommended articles, related products) - "Also in this section" links ## Choosing the Right Pattern | Situation | Recommended pattern | |---|---| | Mobile, 3–5 primary destinations | Tab bar | | Desktop app, many destinations or nested structure | Side navigation | | Simple marketing site or docs | Top nav bar | | Deep content hierarchy | Breadcrumbs + local sidebar | | Parallel views of the same content | Tabs or segmented control | | Occasional, non-primary access | Utility nav or overflow menu | ## Navigation Design Principles - **Orientation**: users should always know where they are (active state, breadcrumb, page title) - **Wayfinding**: users should be able to predict where a destination will take them before clicking - **Reachability**: on mobile, primary destinations must be in thumb reach (bottom of screen) - **Consistency**: navigation structure and placement must not change between screens - **Scent**: labels must accurately describe their destinations — test with first-click tests ## Active States Every navigation item needs a clear active/selected state that survives: - Default and active - Hover and focus - Disabled - Notification badge (when applicable) Active state must be distinguishable by more than color alone (weight, underline, indicator bar). ## Common Mistakes - Using a hamburger menu for primary navigation on desktop — it hides critical paths - Mixing navigation levels (global + local) in the same visual component - Inconsistent active states across different sections - Navigation labels that use internal product names users don't recognize - Too many top-level destinations (more than 7 creates choice paralysis; revisit IA before adding nav items) ## Best Practices - Validate navigation labels with first-click tests before building - Match platform conventions — users carry expectations from the OS and other apps - Design navigation before designing individual screens; navigation errors compound across the product - Test navigation with tasks that require users to cross sections — inter-section navigation is where IA breaks show up
Design an A/B experiment — hypothesis, variants, primary metric, and sample size. Use when a change can be measured quantitatively at scale. For observing behaviour qualitatively, use `test-scenario`.
Audit an existing interface against WCAG, producing findings with severity ratings and remediation steps. Use when you have a design or build to assess now. Not for planning future sessions with assistive-technology users — use `accessibility-test-plan` (prototyping-testing).
Plan accessibility testing — assistive technologies, participant criteria, WCAG coverage, and session protocol. Use when scheduling testing with real AT users. Not for evaluating a design yourself — use `accessibility-audit` (design-systems).
Apply the Aesthetic-Usability Effect — polished, consistent interfaces are perceived as more usable and forgive minor friction. Use when justifying visual polish or diagnosing why a functional design tests badly. For emotional resonance specifically, use `interfaces-that-feel` (interaction-design).
Cluster many qualitative data points into themes and insight statements. Use when synthesising across multiple sessions or sources. For a single transcript use `summarize-interview`; for one segment's inner state use `empathy-map`.
Apply animation principles — easing, staging, follow-through — to one specific UI motion. Use when tuning how an animation feels. For product-wide duration and easing tokens use `motion-system` (design-systems); for a full interaction spec use `micro-interaction-spec`.
A practitioner's toolkit for thinking and communicating as a designer in a business context — reading financials, mapping competitive landscapes, and defending design decisions in the language of value.
Analyse open or closed card sort results into a proposed grouping and label set. Use after running a sort study. For turning that evidence into a full structure, use `information-architecture` (ux-strategy).