UI Navigation Design: Dimming Secondary Items to Highlight Active State

Requirement Goal

In a project navigation, clearly identify the current "Pipeline" module while retaining entries for Requirements, Code, and Release.

Initial Implementation

The first version used dark text for unselected entries and blue bold text for the active "Pipeline" entry. All entries were displayed side by side.

Figure 1: Dark navigation text with blue bold active item.

Problem Analysis

Main Issue

The active item already had color and weight changes, but adjacent dark text still carried strong visual weight. Further enlarging or bolding the active item would make the whole navigation more prominent without improving the primary/secondary relationship.

Therefore, observe whether surrounding entries create competition and judge if reducing their emphasis first can solve the problem.

Design Principle

Emphasis comes from relative relationships. Keeping the main element unchanged while moderately weakening surrounding elements can also make the focus more obvious.

Weakening must preserve recognition and operability. Unselected entries remain usable and should not appear disabled; current, hover, focus, and disabled states each need distinct expression.

Optimization Implementation

Hierarchy Adjustment

Retain the "Pipeline" blue and bold style. Change unselected items from dark to a softer color ( #8190a1). First observe the relative relationship, then verify that the weakened text meets contrast requirements for the final font size and background. If contrast is insufficient at small font sizes, use a darker text color.

Style Implementation

.nav { color: #8190a1; font-size: 24px; } .nav .active { color: #2d61bd; font-weight: 700; } /* Font size in illustration not for direct small navigation use. */

#8190a1

on white yields a contrast ratio of approximately 3.26:1. For ordinary small text consider #687783 (approx. 4.61:1 on white). Retest after any background change. Chinese fonts also require evaluation under equivalent large-text conditions.

State Differentiation

The active item should be determined by the actual route. Use aria-current or similar semantics to express current location and retain clear keyboard focus.

If the active item remains hard to discern in the real page, add borders or background cues. The degree of weight reduction must keep readability and operability as prerequisites.

Effect Acceptance

Figure 2: Active item unchanged, surrounding entry visual weight reduced.

This comparison checks how changes to surrounding elements affect the active item's relative hierarchy.

☐ Active item text and position clearly discernible.

☐ Unselected entries readable, not confused with disabled style.

☐ In actual page, route, hover, and keyboard focus correctly expressed.

Application & Practice

Keep the "Pipeline" style unchanged; adjust only the other three entries. Compare two different levels of weakening.

Deliver two navigation sketches, recording text color, font size, and background. Explain which level achieves both clear hierarchy and normal entry readability.