The new WordPress 2016 theme does not come with the main navigation installed. While we will most likely (first-thing) look into installing the main nav, it makes me stop and evaluate “is this is intentionally left off as a hint of upcoming design trends?” As a designer I like the idea of getting rid of the clunky weight our clients keep adding onto our headers, but at what cost?
Will users become accustom to going straight to the search bar? I don’t mind it personally, but what if someone wanted to see what other content is available internally? The argument to be careful about removing the main nav is documented by nngroup (of course). But there are other arguments for removing it, and it forces us to build websites that are more intuitive, removing the need for it.
“Immediately when we start designing, we are taught to think of the sitemap and how everything is going to connect. Imagine if we spent that time thinking about what the audience wants and how they’re going to use it. ”
– KENDRA GAINES, WebDesignerDepot
