Navigation lanes (Navigate · Operate · Support)
Split the docs navigation into three lanes so visitors orient fast and support remains intentional. Open the Navigate hub or review the Support fixes to see the layout in use.
Intent
Rebuild the sidebar and top nav into three audience-first lanes—Navigate for orientation, Operate for guardrails/runbooks, and Support for a capped set of interrupt fixes—so the home promise (“answer + runnable next action in 60 seconds”) is obvious from every page.
Tension
- Previous navigation mixed strategy, ops patterns, and reactive fixes in five sections, which diluted the “navigate by heart, operate with freedom, support with guidance” philosophy.
- A dedicated “Fast support” block sounded like a helpdesk queue, encouraging reactive work outside guardrails.
- Editors struggled to keep Contributor Kit and Playbook items distinct, causing duplication and drift.
Guardrails and constraints
- Navigation must show no more than three groups, with only one dedicated support lane.
- Support links point to pre-approved labs/checklists, not ad-hoc tickets.
- Operate group keeps the guardrail chain visible (Change → Decision → Guardrail → Page → Signal → Receipt).
- CTA contract still applies: pages must open with a plain sentence and link pair; navigation should reinforce the same pattern.
Options considered
| Option | Notes |
|---|---|
| Keep five-group nav | No change, but philosophy stays muddled and support sounds reactive. |
| Merge Start + Playbook only | Reduces clutter but leaves Runbooks/Support fragmented. |
| Three-lane nav (Navigate/Operate/Support) (chosen) | Mirrors the Northbook mantra, caps support at one lane, and groups everything else by intent. |
Decision
Adopt the three-lane navigation:
- Navigate — Overview, SLI map, wayfinding shortcuts, State, monthly cadence, new-joiner FAQ, Band A guardrails.
- Operate — Playbook canon, Decision spine, North Star & Guardrails, Verify-in-10, facilitation patterns, accessibility quick wins, policy-to-action example, all runbooks + key runbook entries, Sanitization checklist, Answer ledger, Governance.
- Support — Capped at three “Fix:” entries (Interrupt flows index, Repo & pipeline access, Teams notifications).
Top nav now mirrors the same labels (Navigate, Operate, Support).
Home page feature cards follow the same trio:
- Navigate fast → SLI map (seam + guardrail placement).
- Operate with freedom → Verify-in-10 guide/lab + North Star guardrails.
- Support with guidance → Fix-it flows landing on the Support index.
Commitments
- Keep Support capped at three links. Additions require a decision + removal of an existing link.
- Review analytics monthly to confirm ≥80% of nav clicks favor Navigate/Operate before Support.
- Surface nav changes in release notes and State so auditors see when lanes shift.
Proof / acceptance
- Sidebar shows only the three lanes above.
- Support group contains exactly three “Fix:” entries pointing to the published labs.
- Analytics dashboards (nav_clicks) confirm the success metric within two cycles.
Stop rule
If navigation click data shows Support exceeding 20% of total nav interactions for two consecutive cycles—or time-to-answer rises above 60 seconds—revisit the grouping via a new decision and consider rebalancing content or adding contextual CTAs instead.