Intuitive navigation is among the key elements of web design. The way we move from one section of a site to the next and how we browse the content can deeply affect our user experience. Most of the time, website owners want to play it safe, and so they go with the tried-and-true vertical navigation that we’re all accustomed to. However, horizontal scrolling can look way more interesting than its vertical counterpart.

A side scroll layout was an attractive and practical choice for the Canada and the Great War of Liberation web experience. Large sized rare historical photographs and quotes are well depicted in a more magazine spread style layout. When done right, horizontal scrolling can make a website more appealing and fun.

Canada and the Great War of Liberation was a challenging project created with the purpose of telling the story behind the Liberation of France and Belgium in the First World War. The website resembles a magazine, and the horizontal navigation makes you feel as if we’re holding a physical copy in our hands and we’re flipping through its pages. The marvellous imagery, parallax effects, bold typography, and vivid colours, instantly transport you right into the 1917 era. 

The main menu is visible on the left side of the screen. As you scroll, the menu’s colour will change depending on the chapters you’re looking at.

Each chapter has a different background colour and fades in as the website is scrolled.

Titles are animated in a smooth effect.