# Idea for new navigation scheme to re-purpose the hamburger

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/idea-for-new-navigation-scheme-to-re-purpose-the-hamburger/32673
**Category:** UX
**Created:** [August 29, 2015, 3:51am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/idea-for-new-navigation-scheme-to-re-purpose-the-hamburger/32673 "2015-08-29T03:51:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 2

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### Author: ![erlend\_sh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/erlend_sh/32/119475_2.png) [@erlend\_sh](https://meta.discourse.org/u/erlend_sh)
#### Post date: [August 29, 2015, 10:30am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/idea-for-new-navigation-scheme-to-re-purpose-the-hamburger/32673/2 "2015-08-29T10:30:01Z")

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I made a similar proposal a while back:

> [@Proposing a left-aligned slide out hamburger menu](https://meta.discourse.org/t/proposing-a-left-aligned-slide-out-hamburger-menu/30287):
>
> Continuing the discussion from [Full height, slide out hamburger menu](https://meta.discourse.org/t/full-height-slide-out-hamburger-menu/29789/): Here, I will make my argument in support of the [left-aligned hamburger menu convention](https://meta.discourse.org/t/full-height-slide-out-hamburger-menu/29789/32), combined with a reworking of Discourse’s default navigation of index pages. Upon entering [meta.discourse.org](http://meta.discourse.org), you would see this: Drilling into a Category, you see this: Hamburger menu has absorbed the top sub-navigation. Hamburger menu is shown by default on index pages (on Desktop, not Mobile) Fills the same nee…

but I like how your proposal is less radical. I especially like the on-demand hamburger. I forgot that was a thing until recently when I was reminded of it by Amazon as well.

See that drop-down menu directly under the logo?

 ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/6/2/62bd8c2fd9b22b02b8cf2eab45fadbc9b2e23a40.png)

Scroll down a bit, aaand: Hamburger!

 ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/2/d/2d31e3508be81646685c99284043201d0c2e771d.png)

(For reasons I don’t understand however, they completely drop the sticky topnapv on mobile).

I think the design is fine as it stands as far as a first iteration goes. This, to me, is greatly preferable over the current solution.

1. The addition of Latest, Top, New, Unread makes it something I might actually use.
2. The “pop-in” nature of it improves discoverability slightly.
3. The new space on the right leaves up room for a much more inviting search button.

As for your RFC:

> [@jspautsch](#):
>
> When on a page such as All Categories when some of the menu items, like Latest, are repeated in the sub-navigation, should those items be hidden from the menu to save space, or should they remain for consistency?

I’d say just have it show everything for starters to keep it simple. Solving this problem more elegantly will require more radical changes I think. I’m pondering a unification of a left-hand hamburger and [sticky index nav](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-about-making-the-forum-index-menu-sticky/8275/14).

> [@jspautsch](#):
>
> If the “About” page is the primary navigation item, what’s the default sub-nav tab? Should About be repeated? Should it be renamed?

I don’t really understand what you mean here. I do think that menu still gets way too much screen estate though.

> [@jspautsch](#):
>
> My mockups only show the top-level categories in the menu now, like the category dropdown does, as a compromise between the two designs. One could argue the sub-categories clutter the menu, but I could also argue it’s important to list them somewhere besides the category page. Thoughts? Is there another way to display them?

This should be a per-forum kind of thing imo. Frankly, here on Meta we might as well be seeing sub-categories at all times, because there’s only like 7-8 or them.

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