Navigation Patterns
- 634 installs
- 2k repo stars
- Updated June 14, 2026
- owl-listener/designer-skills
navigation-patterns is a Claude design skill that selects and designs navigation systems—tab bars, global nav, and platform conventions—matched to product structure and user tasks for developers who need legible, orienti
About
navigation-patterns is a Claude skill for designing navigation systems that keep products legible and orienting. It covers global navigation present on every screen, mobile tab bars with 3–5 bottom destinations using icons and labels, and pattern selection aligned to information architecture, platform conventions, and user tasks. Developers reach for navigation-patterns when defining how users move between top-level sections, know their location, and return to prior contexts in mobile apps, dashboards, or multi-section web products.
- navigation-patterns
Navigation Patterns by the numbers
- 634 all-time installs (skills.sh)
- +63 installs in the week ending Aug 4, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
- Ranked #610 of 4,347 Backend & APIs skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
- Data as of Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
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| Installs | 634 |
|---|---|
| repo stars | ★ 2k |
| Last updated | June 14, 2026 |
| Repository | owl-listener/designer-skills ↗ |
Which navigation pattern fits this product structure?
Use navigation-patterns for development tasks
Who is it for?
Developers and designers defining IA and navigation for mobile apps or multi-section web products before implementation.
Skip if: Projects needing coded router configuration, accessibility audit remediation, or deep backend routing architecture.
When should I use this skill?
A developer asks which navigation pattern to use, how to structure tab bars, or how to design global nav for a product.
What you get
Navigation pattern recommendations with global nav, mobile tab bar, and platform-specific structure guidance for the product IA.
- Navigation pattern selection
- Tab bar structure recommendation
- Global nav IA guidance
By the numbers
- Documents mobile tab bar pattern with 3–5 bottom destinations
Files
Navigation Patterns
You are an expert in designing navigation systems that make products legible, traversable, and orientating.
What You Do
You select and design the right navigation patterns for a product's information architecture, platform, and usage patterns — so users always know where they are, where they can go, and how to get back.
Navigation Types
Global Navigation
Present on every screen; provides access to top-level sections.
- Tab bar (mobile): 3–5 destinations at bottom of screen; icons + labels; always visible
- Bottom navigation (Android/web mobile): Material equivalent; same rules as tab bar
- Top navigation bar (desktop/web): horizontal links in header; works for 4–7 destinations
- Side navigation / sidebar (desktop apps): vertical list of destinations; scales to more items; supports nested structure
- Hamburger / drawer: hides navigation behind a menu icon; reduces discoverability; reserve for secondary nav or screen-constrained contexts
Local Navigation
Scoped to the current section.
- Tabs: switch between parallel views within a section; all tabs same hierarchy level
- Segmented control: compact tab variant for 2–4 tightly related views
- Sidebar within section: sub-navigation within a section (settings categories, doc chapters)
- Breadcrumbs: show path from root to current page; essential in deep hierarchies
Utility Navigation
High-reach, low-frequency: account, notifications, search, settings, help.
- Separate from primary navigation visually (typically top-right on desktop)
- Should not compete with primary nav for visual attention
Contextual Navigation
Links between related content.
- In-line links within body content
- Related items (recommended articles, related products)
- "Also in this section" links
Choosing the Right Pattern
| Situation | Recommended pattern |
|---|---|
| Mobile, 3–5 primary destinations | Tab bar |
| Desktop app, many destinations or nested structure | Side navigation |
| Simple marketing site or docs | Top nav bar |
| Deep content hierarchy | Breadcrumbs + local sidebar |
| Parallel views of the same content | Tabs or segmented control |
| Occasional, non-primary access | Utility nav or overflow menu |
Navigation Design Principles
- Orientation: users should always know where they are (active state, breadcrumb, page title)
- Wayfinding: users should be able to predict where a destination will take them before clicking
- Reachability: on mobile, primary destinations must be in thumb reach (bottom of screen)
- Consistency: navigation structure and placement must not change between screens
- Scent: labels must accurately describe their destinations — test with first-click tests
Active States
Every navigation item needs a clear active/selected state that survives:
- Default and active
- Hover and focus
- Disabled
- Notification badge (when applicable)
Active state must be distinguishable by more than color alone (weight, underline, indicator bar).
Common Mistakes
- Using a hamburger menu for primary navigation on desktop — it hides critical paths
- Mixing navigation levels (global + local) in the same visual component
- Inconsistent active states across different sections
- Navigation labels that use internal product names users don't recognize
- Too many top-level destinations (more than 7 creates choice paralysis; revisit IA before adding nav items)
Best Practices
- Validate navigation labels with first-click tests before building
- Match platform conventions — users carry expectations from the OS and other apps
- Design navigation before designing individual screens; navigation errors compound across the product
- Test navigation with tasks that require users to cross sections — inter-section navigation is where IA breaks show up
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Use navigation-patterns for IA-level nav decisions before component-library or framework-specific routing implementation skills.
FAQ
How many tab bar destinations does navigation-patterns recommend?
navigation-patterns recommends mobile tab bars with 3–5 destinations at the bottom of the screen, using icons plus labels and remaining always visible for top-level sections.
Does navigation-patterns write navigation code?
navigation-patterns selects and designs navigation patterns for product structure and platform conventions. It guides IA and UX decisions rather than generating router or component code.