Hydro : Refreshing rollover navigation

Characteristic shortcomings of rollover navigation are ironed out.

The Site

Norsk Hydro, the Norwegian aluminium and energy giant, has a large web site with the usual range of corporate and business information. At the top of every page is a horizontal bar with a column of links to the left: Our business, Jobs and Careers, Investor relations, Press room, Global commitment and About Hydro.

Passing the mouse over any link generates a new list to the right. Where a link has a double chevron (>>) after it, a further column of links can be generated – up to four columns can be visible in the bar, with a line showing the path that has been taken. The columns stay in sight when a link has been clicked, as does the line. The ‘mouseover’ system can be used to jump to any other page with one click.

The Takeaway

‘Mouseover’ navigation became popular three or four years ago as a way of giving ‘one click’ navigation across large websites. It is particularly handy for people who have slow connections, because they do not have to work their way through several pages to get where they want. But there are disadvantages. Typical mouseover menus are on the left of the page and new columns that are generated often cover text on the page. In addition they are often unstable, not working well on some computers and browsers and requiring a steady hand (and sometimes temper) to use satisfactorily. For these reasons ‘state of the art’ sites now tend to avoid them.

The Hydro site has overcome both these problems. By occupying a dedicated area at the top the links generated never cover text. And the system is far more stable than other dropdowns. The lists appear in static columns, rather than hovering uncertainly in mid-air. An additional advantage is that the columns act as a form of ‘breadcrumb’ menu, with the line showing the path that has been taken, and offering exceptionally easy access to other parts of the site. Breadcrumbs need to be treated with caution, because they can confuse as well as enlighten, but the Hydro versions are as clear as it is possible to get.

First published on 25 May, 2004