website design - Fixed-position header and menu on a web page -- is that okay?

A client of mine is insisting on two things for a website I am designing:

1. 
   

   That every single link is shown in the header – about 10 links or so with no sub-categories. ie. no drop-downs, rollovers, or sub-navigation.

   
   


2. 
   

   That the header is always visible and static up the top. The content below it will scroll independently but the header is always up the top.

   
   

Now, to me, I don't like the idea of the navigation being always up the top. It means I have to go to lengths to reduce the height so that you can see enough content below it on smaller monitors. I believe that users know to find navigation up the top intuitively and don't need to have the nav forced on them at all times. In the client's eyes – this is "easier" – but in mine, it's treating the audience as stupid and smacks of Web 1.0 principles (namely frames).

So my question is – is it bad UX to have a fixed-position header?

Answer

I agree with your sentiment about static navigation bars. I don't like them. They get in the way and reduce workable screen space.

Whilst 10 menu items is not a great deal and if they're not large would fit in a menu just fine, if it gets any larger, grouping related items in menus is going to be the best approach.

Then again, if out of 10 items, 6 could be grouped under two drop downs, I would push for drop downs. This will also shorten the menu items.

Home | Stores | Computers | Hard Drives | CD Drives | Mice | Keyboards

Should really become:

Home | Stores | Products      |
              | Computers     |
              | Storage     > |
              | Peripherals > |

If the client is a Hands-on Client (#3), then you may need to find evidence to back up your claims and make them see the error of their ways by gently convincing them your method will be better. Also, remind them that they hired you for a reason.

I suppose my sub-question is this; is it easier for the user to see everything at once like the first example? Or is it easier having a dropdown and subcategories? The second may be a neater and more elegant solution. It definitely appeals to me. But what about most users? Is this just more work for them? Having to drill down?

People have short term memories and also they want to be able to quickly find where they need to go. When it comes to navigation, I would rather drill down on two sub menus than try to search for an item in a single list. You could imagine trying to find an urban size house on a 5km long road or navigating to a 500m long road and have 1/10th the house numbers to look at.

Let's say I need to buy a hard drive. I don't want to spend 10 seconds scanning a long list of computer products when I could spend 1 second finding "Storage" and another short mouse click away under "Hard Disk".

What is up to is how granular it needs to be. For example, in this "computer product" example, I wouldn't go so far as to add brands to a sub menu of "Hard Disks", rather leaving that to the product listing itself.

It also depends on how many actual menu items you have, of which you don't seem to have a lot.