Menu
A menu is a list of options for moving around or taking actions.
When to use
- A list of actions or destinations inside a popup or a dropdown.
- More choices than fit as buttons. A menu keeps them out of the way until someone needs them.
- Related items that group naturally under headings.
When not to use
- One or two actions. Use buttons so people can see them.
- Choosing a value in a form. Use a select.
- Primary navigation. It should be visible, not hidden behind a trigger.
- A long unordered list. Use search instead.
Guidance
Do
Group items under a heading that says what they do, so each item can stay short.
Don't
Do not repeat the same words in every item. Put the shared words in a section heading so people read them once.
Intensity
How much attention each of this component's grounds uses, scored against the ladder in both themes.
| Appearance | Ground | Light | Dark |
|---|---|---|---|
| menu | selected | 0.042Ambient | 0.062Substrate |
Substrate, Ambient and Marked are measured. Directed depends on what else is in the region. Demanded is declared, and its use is limited. So neither of those two depends on the component alone. See intensity.
Content
What to write, and what to leave out.
- Start an action item with a verb. Move, Archive, Assign.
- A destination item is a noun, because it is a place.
- Put shared words in the section heading, not in every item.
- Add an ellipsis to an item that opens a dialog, so people know there is another step.