Navigation Menu: Sidebar/Header Dropdown User Controlled

Feature
1

Can we add the option for users to select their preferred default view with the Navigation Menu? This would be a User-selected option on the Profile: Preferences: Interface screen.

It would act like the “Default Home Page” option but be labeled “Default Navigation.” The options would be Left Sidebar and Header Dropdown.

2

What is the use case? Just for an inspiration.

3

Well, there would be three use cases.

  1. Admin option to allow for users to have the ability to turn on/of navigation menu
  2. User option to select a personal default navigation selection
  3. System will deliver the personal option of the navigation selection overriding the website default setting.

I know this is not a formal use case, actors, goal, system, and flow, but it is a simple change.

Does it make sense, or do you need more detail on the requested feature?

4

Well, you are still describing the feature. But what is the benefit? Who is missing it and what problem does it cause not having it? Besides the pure possibility to choose. But WHY?

3 Likes
5

hmm not so sure about that :thinking:

2 Likes
6

Yes, your first question asked for use cases, a “what” question. The “why” question is the justification for the use case. (The “how” question is answered in the design docs.)

There are several reasons “Why”:

  1. We have a partial user-defined UI implementation. Two major UI customizations are available within Discourse - Default Homepage and Left Nav/Header Dropdown. Discourse has implemented the option for the user to choose the homepage landing UI and override the global default. To provide the user with complete UI customization, the user should be able to select their preference for the Left Nav/Header drop-down.
  2. I have users asking for it. The users have experienced the header drop-down menu on other Discourse environments. The feature is what they are used to using in a Discourse environment. This diverse option creates usability and unfriendliness issues between the various discourse environments that have implemented the header drop-down option as global. The last thing any organization wants is usability friction. This feature allows users to switch to what they are comfortable with in all their Discourse interactions - regardless of the website.

Those are the two top-of-mind justifications. I am sure there are others.

1 Like
7

Yes, I would consider this to be a simple implementation.

Today, you can switch from Left Nav/Header Drop-down by changing a global site-setting in real-time. This indicates there is switch (if statement or equivalent) that evaluates a global site setting and sets the UI. Since this switch is making this decision from a global site setting, adding a user defined site setting is building out the “or” functionality in the switch.

IF (global site setting or user site setting) then … else…

If flipping the switch between Left Nav/Header Drop-down required a recompile for the change, then different story…