Navigation Components

Navigation components guide users through your application’s content and structure. Our navigation system prioritizes clarity, accessibility, and responsive behavior across all device sizes.

Core Principles

1. Clear Visual Hierarchy

Navigation elements use typography and spacing to create clear visual hierarchy without relying on heavy borders or shadows. Active states are indicated through color and weight changes.

2. Responsive by Default

All navigation components adapt seamlessly between desktop and mobile viewports, with touch-friendly targets and appropriate interaction patterns for each context.

3. Accessibility First

Every navigation component includes proper ARIA attributes, keyboard navigation support, and focus management to ensure all users can navigate effectively.

Component Overview

Tab Navigation

Switch between different views or content sections within the same context. Supports both button-style and link-style tabs with icon support.

Use when:

• Organizing related content into logical groups
• Switching between different views of the same data
• Creating step-by-step workflows

Table of Contents

Automatically generate navigation from document headings with scroll tracking and active section highlighting. Adapts to mobile with a drawer interface.

Use when:

• Long-form content needs quick navigation
• Users need to understand document structure
• Providing jump links to specific sections

Pagination Controls

Navigate through paginated content with flexible display options. Supports simple previous/next navigation or full page number display.

Use when:

• Breaking large datasets into manageable chunks
• Navigating through multi-page forms
• Browsing search results or listings

Toolbar

Flexible container for grouping related actions and controls. Provides left, center, and right sections for organizing toolbar content.

Use when:

• Grouping related actions in modals or panels
• Creating consistent header/footer areas
• Organizing form controls or filters

Design Patterns

State Indication

Navigation components use consistent patterns for indicating state:

• Active: Primary color accent with increased font weight
• Hover: Subtle color shift to indicate interactivity
• Disabled: Reduced opacity with cursor change
• Focus: Visible outline for keyboard navigation

Mobile Adaptation

On mobile devices, navigation components adapt their behavior:

• Tab navigation becomes horizontally scrollable
• Table of contents transforms into a drawer
• Pagination shows fewer page numbers
• Toolbars stack or collapse sections

Keyboard Navigation

All navigation components support standard keyboard patterns:

• Tab: Move focus between elements
• Arrow keys: Navigate within component (tabs, pagination)
• Enter/Space: Activate focused element
• Escape: Close mobile drawers or overlays

Implementation Guidelines

Progressive Enhancement

Start with semantic HTML that works without JavaScript, then enhance with interactive features. This ensures navigation remains functional even if JavaScript fails.

Performance Considerations

• Use CSS transitions for smooth state changes
• Implement virtual scrolling for long navigation lists
• Lazy load navigation content when appropriate
• Cache navigation state to prevent unnecessary re-renders

Consistency

Maintain consistent behavior across all navigation components:

• Same transition timing and easing
• Consistent focus styles
• Uniform mobile breakpoints
• Shared color and typography tokens

Accessibility Checklist

✓ Semantic HTML: Use appropriate elements (nav, ul, button, a)
✓ ARIA Labels: Provide context for screen readers
✓ Keyboard Support: Full keyboard navigation
✓ Focus Management: Logical focus order and visible indicators
✓ Mobile Touch Targets: Minimum 44x44px touch areas
✓ Color Contrast: WCAG AA compliance for all states

Best Practices

1. Limit Navigation Depth: Keep navigation hierarchies shallow (max 3 levels)
2. Provide Context: Show users where they are in the navigation structure
3. Be Predictable: Use familiar navigation patterns users already understand
4. Test on Real Devices: Verify touch interactions and responsive behavior
5. Monitor Analytics: Track navigation usage to optimize information architecture

Component Status

Next Steps

Explore each navigation component’s documentation for detailed implementation examples, API references, and design guidelines. Start with Tab Navigation for basic navigation needs, or jump to Table of Contents for document-based navigation.