#HamburgerWars

#HamburgerWars

Mike Ryan@ryaninteractive

UXPA Boston 15 - 10-minute talks

#HamburgerWarsWhat is a hamburger menu?

A slide-in menu using a three line icon.

Kindle

#HamburgerWarsWhy are people using them?

Rdio

● Space is scarce on mobile● Minimal navigation gives a clean look.● In a responsive design you can have

consistent navigation and reuse code.● It’s on a lot of apps. Users that don’t

know what it means yet will learn.

#HamburgerWarsWhat I have seen in usability tests

● Most participants did not notice or use the hamburger menu.

● Many failed tasks when the hamburger menu was required. (see chart)

● Several participants had seen the icon before but didn’t know what to expect.

Six Usability Tests (December 2013 – June 2014, 138 Ps)

71/75 Failed

#HamburgerWarsHave others had similar findings?

http://www.exquisitetweets.com/collection/lukew/2919 https://twitter.com/jmspool/status/441224973047574528

#HamburgerWarsWorkarounds

#HamburgerWars

1. Many users don’t know what to expect. The 3 line icon doesn’t have a clear metaphor & is used inconsistently.

2. Moving your navigation under an icon has consequences:

a. Users have to memorize what is in your menu.

b. It provides poor wayfinding.

c. Its location is separated from content weakening the mental connection.

3. It encourages us to include everything from desktop in responsive designs. This can create giant and cumbersome menus on mobile.

Why shouldn’t you use a hamburger menu?

#HamburgerWarsWhat does this icon represent?

No clear metaphor.

#HamburgerWars

Feedly: Menu & All Music: Reorder Various: Scroll Instagram: List

Chrome: Options GoodReads: List Docs: Icon, Menu

& Comment LinkedIn: Search

Photos: Reorder Pintrest: Filter Amazon: Menu & List Stocks: Reorder

Inconsistent use

Three line icons are used for many things. Sometimes in the same application

#HamburgerWars

Soundcloud: Menu GDrive: Menu Gmail: Apps Menu GDocs: App Icon

Word: List GDocs: Line Width Live Nation: Comment GoodReads: Tile view

GDocs: Justify Android OS: Filter USAToday: Menu FlipKart: Menu

Many similar icons

There are many icons similar to the hamburger.Some are menus and some aren’t.

#HamburgerWarsTesting the hamburger icon

Exis Web A/B tests

http://exisweb.net/mobile-menu-icons http://exisweb.net/mobile-menu-abtest http://exisweb.net/menu-eats-hamburger

1. February 2014 - 20K users.

2. February 2014 - 50K users.

3. March 2014 - 250K users.Won by 20%

#HamburgerWarsIts direct effect on revenue

Diamond Candles (December 2014, sample of 240K)

All variations of the icon improved revenue by more than 4%.

Pink background version with menu label improved it by 6%.

http://conversionxl.com/testing-hamburger-icon-revenue/

#HamburgerWars

I wonder who won the game? Do

these guys have a sports

section? I don’t remember.

Open the menu and scan down until you find sports.

Did I download the new Felicia Day book?

Glance up to Authors.

iBooks

Hamburger menus force you to remember what is in them. Visible navigation only requires a glance retaining context.

Hamburger Menus use Recall Over Recognition

#HamburgerWarsNavigation removed from content

Menu is integrated with content and is easy to reach.

Menu is separated from content making it easy to miss.

TwitterMyDisneyExperience

When menus are close to content and have similar coloring, they are mentally connected.

http://www.lukew.com/ff/entry.asp?1927

#HamburgerWarsDoesn’t it make responsive easier?

Yes, but...

https://twitter.com/lukew/status/443763299784482816

#HamburgerWarsVertical menus are infinite.

Three and a half screen lengths on an iPhone 5.

#HamburgerWarsEffects of switching to a tab bar

Redbooth (January 2015)

Switched to a tab menu● Number of sessions doubled● Daily users increased 65%

https://redbooth.com/blog/hamburger-menu-iphone-app?utm_campaign=iOS_Dev_Weekly_Issue_181&utm_medium=email&utm_source=iOS%2BDev%2BWeekly

#HamburgerWarsFacebook & NBC removed it

http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/18/facebook-ios-app-update/

2010 September 2013 February 2014

July 2014

#HamburgerWarsMany apps use horizontal menus.

#HamburgerWars

1. Consider a horizontal menu for your most important tasksA tab bar is less than 10% of your total height.

2. If you are going to use a hamburger menu, label it and make it stand out.

Recommendations

#HamburgerWarsQuestions?

Thanks!

Mike Ryan@ryaninteractive