Table of Contents
How does an accordion menu impact user experience on a website?
Accordion menus impact user’s experience by:
- Avoiding overload.
- Playing a role in user navigation.
With accordion menus, it is up to the users to decide how much information is shown at a time.
What are the pros and cons of accordion menus?
Accordion menus offer both advantages and disadvantages because their implementation is not one-size-fits-all, you always need to stop and consider the unique needs of your website.
Pros:
- Space-saving
- Improved navigation
- Mobile-friendly
- User-controlled content revelation
Cons:
- Potential for hidden key information
- Can be confusing if poorly designed
- Risk of overuse and clutter
When should you use accordion menus?
Accordions facilitate the compact organization of a large volume of content, particularly within a limited space, such as a mobile device display.
Accordion menus should be used when:
- You have an information page like FAQs.
- You want to give product details.
- Websites have a large number of navigation menus.
What are examples of websites that use accordion menus effectively?
Most of the well-known sites take advantage of accordion menus for navigation purposes.
Observe the following three examples:
- Dropbox: It uses the more traditional styled FAQ which includes an accordion-style search. Users to browse through questions only opening those they are interested in.
- Canva: The platform used accordion menus to introduce the new features of Canva Create.
- Many e-commerce sites: Employ accordion to display the product description, specifications, reviews, and shipping policy without cluttering the page.
Should the accordion contain a link to the category’s main page?
Whether it is to incorporate a link to the main category page or not – will always depend on your site’s context and construction.
The objective is to create an interface that balances ease of navigation with visual appeal, prioritizing user experience over design elements that might hinder interaction and potentially lead to frustration.
How to design the perfect accordion?
An effective accordion menu design should be detail-orientated and follow a user-centric design.
Emphasize proper title structure and boundaries, descriptive icons, the possibility of scaling uniformity, and usability testing.
The target is an accordion that is easy to navigate, looks good, and further improves the user experience rather than constraining it.
Conclusion
Within a website, accordion menus can be of great help especially when there is a lot of content to display and/or if the computer screen is too small. If you pay attention to the requirements of your website and use the rules effectively, it is possible to design accordion menus that look nice as well as serve their purpose.
Remember: Accordion menus are only one design element. The effectiveness of a website is not only in the number of such elements but in adopting a comprehensive approach to the UX.
