This is a lighthearted look at the current user experience of hamburger menu navigation on mobile and desktop platforms. The content will be based upon my observations in user research and additional studies and observations by usability experts.

1. #HamburgerWars
#HamburgerWars
Mike Ryan
@ryaninteractive
UXPA Boston 15 - 10-minute talks

2. #HamburgerWarsWhat is a hamburger menu?
A slide-in menu using
a three line icon.
Kindle

3. #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.

4. #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

5. #HamburgerWarsHave others had similar findings?
http://www.exquisitetweets.com/collection/lukew/2919 https://twitter.com/jmspool/status/441224973047574528

6. #HamburgerWarsWorkarounds

7. #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?

8. #HamburgerWarsWhat does this icon represent?
No clear metaphor.

9. #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

10. #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.

11. #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%

12. #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/

13. #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

14. #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

15. #HamburgerWarsDoesn’t it make responsive easier?
Yes, but...
https://twitter.com/lukew/status/443763299784482816

16. #HamburgerWarsVertical menus are infinite.
Three and a half
screen lengths on
an iPhone 5.

17. #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

18. #HamburgerWarsFacebook & NBC removed it
http://www.engadget.com/2013/09/18/facebook-ios-app-update/
2010 September 2013 February 2014
July 2014

19. #HamburgerWarsMany apps use horizontal menus.

20. #HamburgerWars
1. Consider a horizontal menu for
your most important tasks
A 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

21. #HamburgerWarsQuestions?
Thanks!
Mike Ryan
@ryaninteractive