Dropdowns in Web Design improve user experience

Using dropdowns in web design has been a longstanding debate in web usability. I am not here to argue for or against them (however the links at the bottom will). As most things in design there is a time and place for everything and there are always exceptions to the rules. Instead I am here to talk about mega dropdowns or mega menus.

Mega dropdowns began surfacing in the web a couple years ago. In a nutshell, a mega dropdown is a dropdown menu that’s fully visible and structured using design elements such as typography, layout or icons. They provide the user with more information than a typical dropdown thus making their selection easier (which is what it’s all about!).

Benefits of mega dropdowns include:

avoiding the need for an overview page (which basically serves as the middle man)
saving space
keeping the user on the page (login forms etc)
providing additional information like images, icons, prices etc
organizing & structuring content
quick access to content – less steps for the user

Here is a list of some of my faves!