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1910 Ideas

Sidebar navigation menu: Reposition hamburger switcher + Make full collapsable state possibleOpen

Goals of this feature request:The sidebar navigation menu hamburger icon and screen name can be positioned more logically and consistently across all screen sizes (mobile / desktop). On expanding the menu from a collapsed state, the user currently no longer sees the screen name. Make this visible.  Introduce a fully collapsed menu state for maximum use of horizontal screen real estate.  The current sidebar states are as following:  We suggest to make the hamburger switcher stick to the left of the topbar. And then let the navigation sidebar work from below the topbar (it currently overlays it). Also introduce the possibility for a three-state navigation sidebar (instead of two-state) by clicking the hamburger icon (sequence 1 > 2 > 3 > back to 1): Fully expanded state  Partially collapsed state Fully collapsed state (maximum horizontal screen real estate In a sidebar collapsed state, the menu should expand when the user hovers over the hamburger icon (this is something currently missing as well). This behavior is required to expand the sidebar from a fully collapsed state, while still be able to collapse it again when the user leaves the hover-over.  This feature request also coincides with another feature that is already underway, and that is being able to use ALT + M shortcut to automatically set focus to the search field of the navigation sidebar.  For power users (which most users are using Thinkwise systems) the fully collapsed sidebar state in combination with ALT + M to quickly find the menu-item they know (and return to new screen with collapsed menu), provides them with maximum screen real estate to work on at all time while still attaining a fast navigation flow. The end result is also a consistent hamburger menu positioning and sidebar menu behavior across all device types.    

Robert Jan de Nie
Thinkwise blogger
Robert Jan de NieThinkwise blogger

Non‑numeric visual indicators for tabs and menu itemsOpen

 Currently, we allow numeric badges on tab pages and menu items. This works well for counts (e.g. number of records, open tasks).However, there are many situations where a number is not the right signal, but the user should still be visually alerted.The limitation of numeric badgesNumeric badges implicitly communicate:Quantity Work to be done BacklogBut sometimes the intent is different:“Something needs attention” “There is uncertainty or missing information” “This section contains an exception or warning”Using a number in those cases:Adds unnecessary cognitive load (“what does this number mean?”) Can be misleading (“do I really have 1 thing to do?”) Trains users to ignore badges if they are often not actionableProposal: Support symbolic / icon‑based indicatorsAllow tab pages and menu items to display non‑numeric indicators, such as:⚠️ Exclamation mark (attention required) ❓ Question mark (incomplete / unclear data) ⛔ Error icon (invalid or blocking state) ✅ Check icon (explicitly OK / completed) ● Dot indicator (something changed)These indicators would be data‑driven, just like numeric badges today.Why this is valuable1. Better alignment with user intentIcons communicate state, not quantity.This matches many real‑world business scenarios better than numbers.Examples:A tab contains inconsistent data → ⚠️ Required fields are missing → ❓ Validation failed → ⛔ Approval completed → ✅2. Faster visual scanningUsers don’t read numbers — they scan for patterns.Icons:Are recognized instantly Reduce interpretation time Draw attention without demanding actionThis is especially effective in:Complex screens with many tabs Role‑based applications where users need guidance Review or exception‑driven workflows3. Prevents notification fatigueNumeric badges can feel like “todo counters”. When everything shows a number, users start ignoring them.Symbolic indicators:Feel lighter Communicate importance, not volume Are less stressful and more selective4. Improves guidance without extra UIThis approach:Avoids adding extra columns, banners or messages Keeps the UI clean Uses existing UI real estate more effectivelyIt’s a low‑visual‑noise, high‑signal improvement.5. Backward compatible and complementaryThis would not replace numeric badges, but complement them:Numbers → “how many” Icons → “what kind of state”Developers choose the most appropriate signal per use case.Example use cases Customer screen “Details” tab → ✅ “Contracts” tab → ⚠️ (expired contract) “Documents” tab → ❓ (missing upload) Workflow‑driven application Menu item “Review” → ● (new activity) Menu item “Errors” → ⛔ (blocking issues) Master‑detail screens Child tab highlights issues without forcing users to open each tab Optional implementation direction (high‑level)Allow badge type to be: Numeric Domain with elements and Icon Icon visibility driven by badge logic / domain value Optional tooltip to explain the meaning