I've decided that I'd like to use a top navigation for my website because I like the way that the websites I have researched have used them.
The website 'newbiewebsitedesign.com' discusses the positives and negatives of each navigation position (http://www.newbiewebsitedesign.com/4-classic-navigation-positions#more-498). It lists four classic navigation positions, adding 'top plus one side navigation' and 'top with double-sided navigation' to the normal top or side navigations. The site claims that top navigation is useful for leaving more room for content whilst making it difficult if you want to have lots of links in your navigation. Side navigation is described as easy and with lots of room for links whilst being more restrictive in terms of large images etc. when it comes to content. This side doesn't differentiate between left-side navigaton or right-side navigation, wheres Jakob Nielsen's site (http://www.useit.com/alertbox/navigation-menu-alignment.html) claims that left-side navigation is better as right-side navigation is often missed by people scanning the page as the eye is naturally drawn to the left.
This image is from the 'newbiewebsitedesign.com' website and gives an example of top navigation.
This is also from 'newbiewebsitedesign.com' and gives an example of left side navigation...
....and this gives an example of right side navigation.
Good. Perhaps you could research the difference between top and side bar navigation... what's the norm? Is there any research showing that one is better than the other? What does Nielsen say about this?
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