Key insights
- Bottom tabs are the mobile default: 3-5 top destinations, always visible and within thumb reach. Burying those same links in a hamburger drops engagement ~40%.
- A persistent sidebar is the desktop answer for hierarchical content with 5+ sections — keep it in view, since collapsing it by default kills discoverability.
- The hamburger is secondary navigation, never primary. It's acceptable on mobile, but hiding the menu on desktop drops engagement ~56%.
- A command palette (Cmd K) is a search-driven accelerator for power users — pair it with visible nav, because new users don't know it exists.
- Breadcrumbs only earn their space when the hierarchy runs deeper than 2 levels; on flat structures they add noise instead of orientation.
- Choose by platform and depth, not taste — the whole set is one system, not five interchangeable options.
Do / Don't
- Do: Match the pattern to the platform: bottom tabs on mobile, a persistent sidebar on desktop.
- Do: Keep primary destinations visible — 3-5 for tabs, 5+ sections to justify a sidebar.
- Do: Reserve breadcrumbs for hierarchies deeper than two levels.
- Don't: Hide primary navigation in a hamburger — engagement drops 40-56%.
- Don't: Make a command palette the only path to a feature; new users won't discover it.
- Don't: Add breadcrumbs to a flat structure where they're just visual noise.
