18. Menu

Creating and managing menus is an essential aspect of website design and management. The transcript provided outlines a detailed process for creating and customizing a website menu using a CMS (Content Management System). Let's break it down.

Creating a Menu

The first step involves creating a menu from the CMS dashboard. This can be done by selecting 'Menus' from the sidebar, then clicking on 'Create menu'. After naming your menu, you can add the pages or posts you want to feature in the menu and arrange them in the desired order. Remember to save your changes and reload your webpage to ensure your new menu has been successfully updated.

Adding the Menu

After creating your menu, you'll want to add it to your webpage. Depending on whether you're using a free or pro version of your website builder, you'll have different options for this. The Pro version typically offers more features, including a 'mega menu'. However, even the free version allows you to effectively navigate your website.

Customizing the Menu

Now comes the fun part – customizing your menu. You can change the color of the menu to make it visible against your page background. Menu element settings can be accessed through an icon in the top right corner of your dashboard. You can choose the menu you wish to display if you have more than one. You also have the option to present your menu as a hamburger menu, even on desktop.

The alignment of your menu can be adjusted to the right, left, or middle. You also have the option to make your menu vertical or horizontal, and add space between the link elements. Basic padding and margins can be added for aesthetics.

Enhancing the Menu

For a more appealing menu, you can change the colors and typography of the links, with options to add icons to each link. This provides a better user experience and makes navigation easier. These settings are customizable on a per-link basis, giving you control over each element of your menu.

The 'topography' option allows you to change the font style across all links, and you can adjust the size and other settings as needed. The color feature lets you set the default, hover, and active color for your links.

In conclusion, creating a menu that complements your website design and enhances user experience requires careful thought and execution. However, with the right tools and guidance, you can create a professional-looking menu that is functional and aesthetically pleasing.