There are few more divisive issues in web design than dropdowns. For the haters, dropdowns represent interlopers, little unwanted surprises of information overload. The reaction is instant, visceral, maddening. For the apologist, the argument in favor of dropdowns is always utilitarian. (Nobody ever talks about a beautiful dropdown.) Think of the clutter, they say. Think of how much space on the homepage is saved and how cleaner your nav bar looks. It’s a necessary evil!
Typically, there is no compromise. But that doesn’t mean designers don’t try.
Which brings us to ESPN’s recent facelift in which they’ve gone all in on dropdowns. Frankly, they’re now the king of dropdowns. Their Super Bowl-sized dropdowns, mini-homepages in their own right, put all other dropdowns to shame (except for maybe MSNBC’s drop-ups). They’ve used the added space to spruce up the dropdown, adding photos and a variety of links. It’s now easier on the eyes, even if it is covering half of the homepage. So, have they given you dropdown envy?
From a user perspective, I have to say it works quite smoothly and the appeal is immediate. The user doesn’t have to click through to another page to find out the top stories in the bucket they’re interested in. Also, they’re so large that the user is not tormented by the wayward mouse arrow that closes so many traditional dropdowns before the user is done with them.
The header is all much cleaner. They’ve made room to advertise their local sites and for a thin banner ad (which seem to be growing in popularity). The logo is once again at the top of the page, above the scores. And best of all, bye bye gradient! The nav bar is now a slick black, which just a hint of gradient on the end.
