Breadcrumb improvement

[GreenLinks]

Hello ,

Don't know if anyone else feels this issue or not but as an ex vBulletin user , we find IPB breadcrumbs a bit problematic regarding usability.

Let me try to explain this a bit

When a user is inside a thread , he doesn't see the thread name inside breadcrumbs http://d.pr/i/4mjU

When a user is inside a specific forum section that specific forum section is located inside breadcrumbs http://d.pr/i/5mb7

On thread when the user wants to return master forum for that thread , he needs to click the last Breadcrumb item

On forum if the user does the same thing , he will just refresh the page he is located at.

My suggestion will be changing this so both sections will require similar actions. There can be possible ways to do that

1. Add thread title to the breadcrumbs
2. Remove link for the forum section you are browsing

Please keep in mind consistency is key for user browsing habbit and breadcrumbs is key when users are browsing within your site.

[bfarber]

I fully agree - consistency is important. We definitely already have this in mind for 4.0 (suite wide, not just app wide).

[crabpaws]

The breadcrumb issue in whatever the heck this version is is even worse. Here's my view of a topic:

Users need to be able to see the tree and jump to beginning and intermediary points on the tree. This is way, way too stripped down. There's no sense of place at all. Very disorienting, and I'm an old hand at this.

[Joel R]

The breadcrumb issue in whatever the heck this version is is even worse. Here's my view of a topic:

Users need to be able to see the tree and jump to beginning and intermediary points on the tree. This is way, way too stripped down. There's no sense of place at all. Very disorienting, and I'm an old hand at this.

​That might be because you're using a smaller window.  On a larger window, you see the full breadcrumb path.  

[DudeThatsErin]

​That might be because you're using a smaller window.  On a larger window, you see the full breadcrumb path.  

​Yes, he was saying that there should be the tree on the mobile/smaller version as well as the bigger version.

Which I don't really agree with. You could always use the back arrow in your browser to go back. At least that's what I usually do.

[crabpaws]

No, I'm using Firefox on a desktop Mac, maximized window.

Sure, someone could use the Back button. That would take us back to 1995 navigation-wise. The clumsiness of that scheme is why the whole idea of breadcrumbs and alternative ways to navigate came about.

[Joel R]

Interesting.  Well, the fact that your navigation bar contains the 'dropdown menu' along with the icons for New Content and Search tells me that your window is smaller than the 'full size' experience.  

Perhaps in your particular IPS 4.0 skin you will need to enable the breadcrumbs even in the smaller responsive windows.  

[bfarber]

Yes, you are looking at the mobile view in your screenshot, not the desktop view.  This could be caused by your monitor resolution if you are viewing maximized browser window on a desktop.

[crabpaws]

What monitor resolution do you recommend? I use this one all over the Web.

I can get the desktop view ONLY if the browser window is maximized. Anything else, I'm getting the mobile view.

[Nevo]

What monitor resolution do you recommend? I use this one all over the Web.

I can get the desktop view ONLY if the browser window is maximized. Anything else, I'm getting the mobile view.

​

What is your resolution? J.W

[crabpaws]

1024 x 768

[Nevo]

1024 x 768

 

​Looks like you'll be forced to deal with Mobile since they developed the 4.0 skin this way. Your only other option is submit a bug report and have them fix this because that resolution while being low shouldn't be Mobile, even if there are Mobile Devices that have that resolution or higher!

[bfarber]

http://css-tricks.com/snippets/css/media-queries-for-standard-devices/

 

We use a cutoff of 979px for tablet view and 767px for phone view.  If your monitor resolution is 1024x768 (which is quite small by today's standards) and you don't maximize the window, then it is probable you will hit the phone or tablet view.  As responsive layouts become more and more popular, you will hit this "issue" on other sites more and more as well.