Consumed => “UX designers: Side drawer navigation could be costing you half your user engagement” by Anthony Rose on The Next Web.

http://thenextweb.com/dd/2014/04/08/ux-designers-side-drawer-navigation-costing-half-user-engagement

=> My value add (i.e., left a comment*)…

re: “When we launched the new version the user reviews were great (“Love the new design, 5 stars”).

But when we looked at our analytics, it was a disaster! Engagement time was halved!

It looked like ‘out of sight, out of mind’ really was the case.”

Okay, but the question is: did you overreact and/or act too soon? Was there at least a small segment of the users who continued to get the “new & improved” version. How did current users (who were grooved to expect a certain UI / UX) compare to those with no reference point?

Testing and analytics are important, obviously. That said, a UI / UX is not linear, nor is it a day to day signal. There very well could be a period of adjustment. Perhaps the roll out / introduction – if you will – was “botched” (i.e., zero effort to “warn” then something was coming and then also some hand holding once it happened)? I can’t help but wonder if you didn’t win in the short term and lose in the long.

Finally, why not make it an account setting the user can pick? Then see what happens.

*Not sure if it’s Disqus or this site but I was not able to post this comment.