Hierarchy Depth vs Breadth: The Information Scent

When architecting a sitemap, teams must balance Breadth (the number of choices per level) against Depth (the number of levels to reach content):

• Deep Hierarchies (Overly Nested): Requiring 6 or 7 clicks through sub-sub-menus causes users to lose their mental path and abandon navigation.
• Broad Hierarchies (Overwhelming): Presenting 25 items in a single menu causes cognitive paralysis and banner blindness.
• The Usability Sweet Spot: Moderate breadth (5 to 9 primary categories) paired with shallow depth (2 to 4 levels).