Continuously improving user experience (UX) in the WMS is one of the cornerstones of the Web Service Group's mandate. One of the main interfaces our users interact with are the various menus and similar elements used to navigate the WMS. As part of an ongoing process of听updating and refining our UX,听we'll be making some changes to these menus and other navigation tools.
The main menu
The main menu of any site in the WMS is听important. This听is the听primary way users can browse content and one of the most significant听tools Site Managers use to structure their听site. This menu can be used in a few different ways, and how it looks and feels needs to respond well to whichever platform (desktop, tablet or mobile device) that a user chooses.听 That said, some behaviours must remain consistent across any platform. We've been re-evaluating how these experiences line up听and have already made a few changes.
Arrows in vertical menus听which appear on the left side of WMS web pages will be removed. These arrows are听redundant听and imply an interaction (a听drop-down听menu) that does not exist in this听context. Removing听extra visual 'noise' and simplifying these menu items makes them easier to read, and clarifies their intent with respect to how听users听expect them to behave.
In the example below, you will see that this will also eliminate awkward indentation and make menu text more听readable. As听in many things, in this case, less is more.
Before
After
听
Drop-down menus (a.k.a. 'mega menus')
On desktop and similar platforms听with sufficient screen space and resolution, specific sites such as听mcgill.ca/music听and听mcgill.ca/desautels听have听main menus听that include听drop-down menus听 鈥撎齱e call them听mega menus 鈥撎齮hat听enable听sub-menus听to be displayed when they are听activated. Currently, these听mega menus听are a bit听confusing. The mechanism to trigger (and create)听their drop-down听behaviour is inconsistent across sites听and across platforms 鈥撎齭ometimes to the extent that some content is听inaccessible. We听will be fixing that with some upcoming changes.听
Summary
User experience and authoring experience are important to听the Web听Services听Group. As听part of a broader trend in improving these听experiences, we'll听be making some changes to how menus听are displayed and how they behave in听the听WMS. These changes are all about听consistency,听clarity, and听simplification. Improving every aspect of the WMS is a key part of our mission and we look forward to releasing these improvements soon!
