During our large-scale usability testing we observe that this combination of “task oriented” and infrequent usage of the dashboard means that the vast majority of users are unlikely to benefit from “learning” how your account navigation is structured, because the next time they go to their account they will likely have forgotten the navigational structure.

Even on e-commerce sites that have predominantly returning account users, we observed that most users navigating to the account pages should be considered novice first-time users (e.g., when determining the amount of clarifying microcopy or the clarity of the navigation).

In practice, our testing revealed that this means users are typically better off with a few somewhat long and overwhelming pages, rather than a deeply nested and structured multilayer navigation hierarchy, which proved difficult for test subjects to navigate effectively.

Learn More: Besides exploring the 586 “Account Dashboard” design examples below, you may also want to read our related articles on “‘Cards’ Dashboards Must Be Highly Consistent and Appropriately Styled” and “New Research Findings on ‘Accounts & Self-Service’ UX”.

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