Burger Menu: Definition, Issues, and Explanations

The Burger Menu, also known as the "hamburger menu," is an icon consisting of three parallel horizontal lines. It is used to represent a hidden navigation menu and can be clicked or tapped to reveal the available options.

This interface is frequently used in mobile applications and responsive websites to save space on the screen.

The term "burger" refers to the shape of the icon, which resembles a small sandwich with three layers.

The Burger Menu is primarily used to optimize navigation on interfaces where space is limited, such as smartphones or tablets.

It allows you to hide items from the main menu, promoting a clean design and a less cluttered interface.

Its appeal lies in the fact that it provides quick access to different sections without visually overloading the page, thereby improving the user experience, especially on small screens.

Specifically, the Burger Menu appears as a simple icon that, when clicked or tapped, displays a panel or menu containing navigation options.

This interaction can be accompanied by animations to indicate the opening or closing of the menu, often in the form of a slide or gradual appearance.

The menu that opens allows the user to select a section or function, then close the menu to return to the main content.

Like any interface element, the Burger Menu has advantages and disadvantages that should be considered when using it.

Among the advantages are:

• Significant visual space savings on mobile interfaces.
• Clean, minimalist design that doesn't clutter the screen.
• Makes it easy to organize a large number of options without overloading the page.

On the other hand, the disadvantages include:

• Less visible to some users, which may reduce menu discovery.
• Requires additional interaction to access options, which can negatively impact usability.
• May hide important features if misused.

The hamburger menu is very common in mobile applications such as Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, where space is limited and navigation must remain fluid.

On responsive websites, it is often used to replace a traditional navigation bar on small screens, thereby providing a consistent user experience across all devices.

Some e-commerce sites also incorporate this menu to effectively organize categories and services without cluttering the home page.

• MDN Web Docs - ARIA Accessibility: Understanding menu accessibility and best practices.
• W3C WAI - Accessible Menu Tutorials: A comprehensive guide to creating accessible menus, including hamburger menus.
• Smashing Magazine - Hamburger Menu UX examples: analyses and alternatives for the burger menu.