Renegade — Fri, 23 May 2003 11:55:45 +0000

Right nav does make more sence, I have no idea why people like it on the left, any suggestions?

Megan — Thu, 22 May 2003 13:13:49 +0000

I usually end up with a combination of left and top, but I do thinkt hat right makes more sense in a lot of cases. If I ever get my personal site up it'll have right nav.

clubart — Thu, 22 May 2003 04:18:42 +0000

I say right or/and top

spor — Tue, 20 May 2003 16:53:58 +0000

I use top and bottom navigation on my site mostly, with a few links to sites i like on the left, i like the look of sites with the nav on the right though..

andy206uk — Tue, 20 May 2003 11:49:38 +0000

I normally use a combination of left and top navigation depending on the structure of the site... although mainly i find that I just put links on the left out of habbit.

For those of you worried about putting the menu on the left and the search engines reading it before the content, theres a simple solution.

Use layers and css.

By ordering your layers in your code so the main content comes first, then using css to state that the content should be on the right and the menu on the left, the search engines will scan the code and read that before the menu even though it appears the other way round to the end user...

but, i'm sure you guys already knew that one...

taff — Tue, 20 May 2003 11:14:24 +0000

I'm not awake enough to slog through the article but I like righthand navigation myself. It seems to me that from a usability perspective, its proximity to the scroll bar makes sense.

Unfortunately, like Suzanne, I've yet to find a client that'll let me do it -

"the site looks good but could you move the menu to the left where its *supposed* to be?"

Renegade — Tue, 20 May 2003 10:31:54 +0000

I prefer the right hand side.

Quote: I never could figure out the whole left nav thing. Maybe the first time ever it was used by a left handed designer and people then followed? (though I do use this myself per the whole user expectation thing)

I am a left handed designer myself and I really prefer the right. Why? Because the navigation bar on the left is way too cliche and boring, give/design something that isn't used a lot and people will find that they like it

Same with the top as well it's not too common however, but it is more common than right hand navigation. If I were given a choice to choose where to put it I would go:

1, Right hand
2, Top (hand )
3, Left hand

As you can see, I like being different. Just like everyone else

The Webmistress — Tue, 20 May 2003 06:54:29 +0000

I put it wherever it fits with the design (clients go along with whatever I design!) and I have many sites all with the same topic/content/product that all do well in the search engines - some have top, some left and one right hand navigation.

Roo — Tue, 20 May 2003 01:13:38 +0000

Functional wise:

Right, am a righty so my hand is over there anyway. It's what my brain wants my hand to do.

I never could figure out the whole left nav thing. Maybe the first time ever it was used by a left handed designer and people then followed? (though I do use this myself per the whole user expectation thing)

Design wise:
I'm fond of the top nav bar.

'Course where I put it totally depends on the site, the content etc. etc. etc.

Suzanne — Tue, 20 May 2003 01:11:34 +0000

*lol* I know. I do have a couple of clients who have opted for top nav, which is refreshing. And they have subnav in the right.