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I have about 7 menu items in my navigation drawer. One of which is - Account Name. When the user selects an account, say 'ABC' the side menu item name is set as 'ABC'. Clicking on it takes the user to ABC details page.

Now, If the user selects another account say 'XYZ' through a different process, the side menu changes to 'XYZ'

PS: The account name menu item has sub-menus that are static text, but links to the corresponding account's configuration. The sub-menu items are 1. Users 2. Configuration

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So my question is, Is it ok to have the menu item changing with a selection in the site? The nav drawer that we have seen and come across are all fixed. The menu items does not change as the user browses on.

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  • Could you add a question? It's not really clear which problem you want to solve right now or what the issue is.
    – Rick P
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 13:44
  • Oops.. I have edited and added at the end.
    – Kish
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 15:11
  • Menu items are commands. The menu item's text or icon should communicate its function. ABC is a display of system status. What happens when the user taps on ABC or XYZ? Why aren't you using side nav and tab combo or some other combined pattern from material design?
    – moot
    Commented Feb 21, 2018 at 20:10
  • @moot thank you for the response. But, ABC isn't actually a system status. It takes the user to the account page of ABC. It is inherently known to the business users of the web app.
    – Kish
    Commented Mar 25, 2019 at 10:03
  • That's part of the issue, ABC and XYZ are displays of a system status. Somewhere, your app is set to ABC or XYZ. Menu items should tell the user what they do. It looks like it should say Account Details or something similar.
    – moot
    Commented Mar 26, 2019 at 23:21

2 Answers 2

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So my question is, Is it ok to have the menu item changing with a selection in the site?

Even your question doesn't contain the restrictions for the case(s) to be evaluated within "to be ok", I understand with your question as the cases followed below,

1. As a user experience design practice

Changing the context which is passed and experienced before by the user is a bit risky, yes. But in your situation, it's a probably user's individual choice or it's expected from the user to display these account's informations so that account change can be made and the results (effect or transition) should be understandable by whom interacting with it.

2. As a programming practice whether developers can achieve or not

As you mentioned above,

The sub-menu items are 1. Users 2. Configuration

Users and Configuration are static texts in your case and there are lots of situations dynamic programming/texts within everyday programming used. Like they're used in templating solely as a programming practice, many frontend frameworks have their own style of implementing it. Actually otherwise, it's not possible to deal with the situations consequently changing as the user types or inputs.

PS: More clearer assumptions might be produced with the real experience of what you already created but please make more clarification, if it wouldn't be the answer or the point you're seeking.

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Google Mail does it

Gmail mobile app drawer

and it seems to work just fine. In the upper area of the navigation drawer, an available account can be selected. Anything below the selection menu is actually a list of conditional actions, except for the Settings menu at the bottom (not pictured).

I believe this would serve as an example for both a drawer with dynamic and static content (considering the static actions at the bottom) and a drawer with only dynamic content (as the most-used actions are related to the account selected).

Conclusion:

It seems to work.

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  • This seems to work because you are actually switching accounts. And it seems relatable as my question says 'account'. But my question is: how would it be, if Primary or social or starred were variables dependant on some other selection somewhere else??
    – Kish
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 15:06
  • I do not see a big conent difference here. There is a difference in presentation hierarchy though: Dynamic content on the top, static on the bottom. Mixing the two can create confusion.
    – Orphevs
    Commented Feb 20, 2018 at 15:29

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