Comments on: The three clicks myth

By: Navigation & Labeling Reference Links | kabayview.com

Navigation & Labeling Reference Links | kabayview.com — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:05:39 +0000

[...] The Three Clicks Myth – James Robertson [...]

By: Akshat Kant dot com» Blog Archive » Tweets as for Week 2010-05-16

Akshat Kant dot com» Blog Archive » Tweets as for Week 2010-05-16 — Sun, 16 May 2010 19:03:39 +0000

[...] 3 clicks rule for website is a myth – http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/cmb_threeclicks/index.html – a good read [...]

By: Florian Nachreiner

Florian Nachreiner — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:35:33 +0000

Really good article! The 7 +/-2 rule, which as mentioned is equally questionable, and the 3-click-rule complement each other rather nicely. With a certain amount of content, it just becomes mathematically impossible to comply with both those rules, i.e. only have 7 items to choose from on each page, but also have a structure in place that’s only 3 levels deep. What the existence of both those myths can show us though, is the importance of getting the balance of horizontal and vertical right within an Information Architecture. I am simplifying a bit, aiming the 3 clicks mainly at vertical and the 7 items at horizontal, but well.

Also I wanted to mention Hick’s law here, which demonstrates the effect a higher number of items has, on the time the selection process takes. Less clicks (e.g. only 3 instaed of 6) meaning more links on one page meaning more time for finding the right one, meaning it could potentially be quicker to make a faster decision 6 times than making a slower one three times. This can help to mathematically prove it…

By: John Chifley

John Chifley — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:27:47 +0000

With a large and exceedingly complex intranet providing information about a sophisticated financial product “three clicks” is just not possible. The menus are long enough as it is. Thanks for this article, it’s very helpful.

By: Craig Thomler

Craig Thomler — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 05:26:07 +0000

This is spot on!

The ‘three clicks’ myth can become a heavy burden on websites, intranets and their content teams. It can turn the top two levels of sites into lists of links without appropriate organisational principles or context, thereby reducing their effectiveness and usability.

By: James Robertson

James Robertson — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:29:56 +0000

@Patrick, agree completely! Everyone wants to have *their* stuff on the homepage, citing that “it won’t be found otherwise”. Of course, with the poor state of most site’s information architecture, they may well be right…

By: links for 2009-12-18 « burningCat

links for 2009-12-18 « burningCat — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:05:07 +0000

[...] The three clicks myth Home > articles > intranets > The three clicks myth [...]

By: Patrick Kennedy

Patrick Kennedy — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:54:43 +0000

I think one factor that may not have started this myth, but certainly propagated it, is “home page politics”. That is, various stakeholders fighting over real estate on the home page (or anywhere they perceive to be prominent) created this hierarchical economy.

Top of the hierarchy is the home page, getting less valuable as you move down the page. Then comes being in in the main nav, and so on and so forth.

So being within a few clicks was seen as highly valuable, and quoting the three click rule became a bargaining chip.

Of course, smart people would look at web traffic stats and find where the people they want to target are *actually* going, then put their stuff there…instead of blindly aiming for the home page or within three clicks of it.