päävalikko

Päävalikko, Finnish for main menu, is the primary navigational element in a user interface. It provides access to the most important sections and actions of an application or website and is typically located at the top of the screen or in a side panel. It organizes content into top-level categories, which may include submenus or dropdowns.

In web pages, a päävalikko often contains items such as Home, About, Services, and Contact. In desktop software, it may appear as a traditional menu bar with items like File, Edit, and View. On mobile devices, the main menu is commonly collapsed into a hamburger icon or presented as bottom navigation to save space.

Design and usability considerations include keeping labels concise and consistent, limiting the number of top-level items, and grouping related items logically. The main menu should be easy to scan, with stable organization across sections, and support keyboard focus, clear visual focus indicators, and screen-reader accessibility.

Implementation and accessibility: use semantic HTML elements such as nav or proper ARIA roles for menus, provide meaningful alternative text for icons, and ensure proper keyboard navigation and focus order. In responsive designs, the menu adapts to different screen sizes and devices, often replacing horizontal bars with collapsible menus.

Context and terminology: in Finnish UI literature, päävalikko denotes the primary navigation structure of a site or application. It is part of the broader navigation system and works in concert with secondary navigation and content hierarchy.