Tabbed navigation in UX: Where and when to use it

Updated by Chinwike Maduabuchi in November 2024, the article offers insights and best practices for designing tabbed navigation with user experience (UX) in mind, emphasizing when and when not to use this design pattern. Tabbed navigation is a popular UI design tool that organizes content into clearly labeled sections, simplifying UX by reducing clutter and efficiently using screen space. It provides quick access to information but requires attention to usability considerations such as the number of tabs, labels, and content organization. Best practices include keeping labels concise, ensuring accessibility, and providing visual cues for active tabs. While tabs are effective for simplifying navigation, saving space, and organizing hierarchical content, they are not ideal for complex hierarchies or when many categories are needed. The article also highlights modern trends, such as dynamic content loading and gesture-friendly designs, to enhance tabbed navigation in progressive web apps and single-page applications. Effective tabbed navigation requires balancing its advantages with potential drawbacks through thoughtful design choices.