Goal
Ensure that navigational patterns are consistent in the order of presentation.
Example of failure:
On page A you have a menu:
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Meat
- Dairy
- Bread
On page B you have the same menu, but the order is:
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Meat
- Bread
- Dairy
This fails to meet the test criteria because while the list is the same on both pages, the order has changed.
Why this matters
People with Cognitive and Neurological Disabilities may find it difficult to recognize that the menus go to the same places. They may find it difficult to remember where they saw a specific menu option if it’s not in the same location in the list each time as well.
How to implement
Writer and Designer
Ensure that a navigational menu’s item order is decided upon and documented.
Developer
Ensure that a navigational menu always builds in the order specified by the writer and/or UX Designer.
How to test
- Verify that each time you load a navigational element such as a menu, the items appear in the order specified. (The list shouldn’t be randomly loading items from the server)
- Verify that if the navigational element is in multiple places (for example, the global header) that the items appear in the order specified each time.