I love sitemaps. They’re a powerful way to visualize the big picture. I love creating a flip-book style sitemap series to show incremental changes in a digital experience.
Sitemaps are also helpful for exploring hierarchies. There are many ways to organize information, and on a web app the hierarchy is generally flatter. On a native app, the hierarchy tends to be deeper.
You can’t design great UI without doing careful user experience strategy first.
Here’s an over-simplification of steps for adapting a web app sitemap for a native app.
1. Identify core pages through analytics and user journeys.
Core pages are are visited often. By separating core pages from other pages, we’re able to prune the sitemap down. Users often perform set up steps in a web app, and then get down to business on the native app.
2. Revise and refactor to simplify navigation for small screens.
Small screens work better with forks in the road, rather than roundabouts.
3. Shorten copy for the pocket.
Smartphones require shorter Calls to Action due to space constraints. There’s also an opportunity to be more personal. When the device is in your pocket, it should be able to call you by your first name!