Sponsored ArticleThe Golden Rules Of Bottom Navigation Design

Design is more than just good looks – something all designers should know. Design also covers how users engage with a product. Whether it’s a site or app, it’s more like a conversation. Navigation is a conversation. It doesn’t matter how good your site or app is if users can’t find their way around.

In this post, we’ll help you better understand the principles of good navigation for mobile apps, then show you how it’s done using two popular patterns. If you want to take a go at prototyping your own navigation, you can download and test Adobe’s Experience Design CC¹ for free and get started right away.

Let’s Get Started Link

Navigation UI patterns are a shortcut for good usability. When you examine the most successful interaction navigation designs of recent years, the clear winners are those who execute fundamentals flawlessly. While thinking outside the box is usually a good idea, there are some rules that you just can’t break. Here are four important rules for creating a great mobile navigation:

Simple Link

First, and most importantly, a navigation system must be simple. Good navigation should feel like an invisible hand that guides the user. An approach to this is to prioritize content and navigation for mobile apps according to the tasks a mobile user is most likely to carry out.

Visible Link

As Jakob Nielsen says², recognizing something is easier than remembering it. This means that you should minimize the user’s memory load by making actions and options visible. Navigation should be available at all times, not just when we anticipate a user needs it.

Clear Link

Navigation function must be self-evident. You need to focus on delivering messages in a clear and concise manner. Users should know how to go from point A to point B on first glance, without any outside guidance. Think of the shopping cart icon; it serves as an identifier to check out or view items. Users don’t have to think about how to navigate to make a purchase; this element directs them to the appropriate action.

Consistent Link

The navigation system for all views should be the same. Don’t move the navigation controls to a new location on different pages. Do not confuse your user — keep words and actions consistent. Your navigation should use “The Principle of Least Surprise.”³ Navigation should inspire users to engage and interact with the content you are delivering.

Design With Thumbs In Mind Link

In his research⁴ on mobile device usage, Steven Hoober has found that 49% of people rely on one-thumb to accomplish things on their phones. In the figure below, the diagrams on the mobile phones’ screens are approximate reach charts, in which the colors indicate what areas of a screen a user can reach and interact with their thumb. Green indicates the area a user can reach easily; yellow, an area that requires a stretch; and red, an area that requires users to shift the way they’re holding a device.

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Representation of the comfort of a person’s one-handed reach on a smartphone. Image Source: uxmatters⁶

When designing, take into account that your app will be used in several contexts; even people who prefer to use a two-handed grip will not always be in a situation where they can use more than one finger, let alone both hands to interact with your UI. It’s veryimportant to place top-level and frequently-used actions at the bottom of the screen. This way, they are comfortably reached with one-handed and one-thumb interactions.

Another important point — bottom navigation should be used for the top-level destinations of similar importance. These are destinations that require direct access from anywhere in the app.

Last but not least, pay attention to the size of targets. Microsoft suggests⁷ you set your touch target size to 9 mm square or greater (48×48 pixels on a 135 PPI display at a 1.0x scaling). Avoid using touch targets that are less than 7 mm square.

Touch targets shouldn’t be smaller than 44px to 48px (or 11mm to 13mm), padding included.

Tab Bar Link

Many apps use the tab bar for an app’s most important features. Facebook makes main pieces of core functionality available with one tap, allowing rapid switching between features.

Facebook bottom tab bar for iOS. (Large preview¹⁰)

Three Crucial Moments For Bottom Navigation Design Link

Navigation is generally the vehicle that takes users where they want to go. Bottom navigation should be used for the designated top-level destinations of similar importance. These are destinations requiring direct access from anywhere in the app. Good bottom navigation design follows these three rules.

1. Show Only The Most Important Destinations Link

Avoid using more than five destinations in bottom navigation as tap targets will be situated too close to one another. Putting too many tabs in a tab bar can make it physically difficult for people to tap the one they want. And, with each additional tab you display, you increase the complexity of your app. If your top-level navigation has more than five destinations, provide access to the additional destinations through alternative locations.

Avoid Scrollable Content Link

Partially hidden navigation seems to be an obvious solution for small screens — you don’t have to worry about the limited screen estate, just place your navigation options into a scrollable tab. However, scrollable content is less efficient, since users may have to scroll before they’re able to see the option they want, so it is best to avoid if at all possible.

Avoid scrollable content in tab bar — Out of sight, out of mind. You should avoid placing too many items in the tab bar to prevent users from scrolling before they can click on the option they want.

2. Communicating The Current Location Link

The single most common mistake seen on app menus is failing to indicate the user’s current location. “Where am I?” is one of the fundamental questions users need to answer to successfully navigate. Users should know how to go from point A to point B based on their first glance and without any guidance from the outside. You should use the proper visual cues (icons, labels, and colors), so the navigation doesn’t require any explanation.

Icons Link

Bottom navigation actions should be used for content that can be suitably communicated with icons. While there are universal icons that users know well, mostly they are representing functionality like search, email, print and so on. Unfortunately “universal” icons are rare. Unfortunately, app designers often hide functionality behind icons that are actually pretty hard to recognize.