Content personalization and Steam's shop interface

Steam’s recent navigation update is a master class in two things: content personalization and “don’t make the user think.”

I spend a lot of time on UX and IA for navigation menus. I know how hard it is to help users find what they need, let alone drive meaningful business actions.

Personalized navigation is still surprisingly rare, but it’s a game-changer. When menus adapt to the user, everyone wins. Users find content faster, and businesses experience improved engagement and conversion rates.

Steam’s interface proves that personalization isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic advantage with real impact on engagement and satisfaction.

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About the author

Brandon is an engineer who loves leading, planning, designing, growth and analytics.

Five books everyone should read:

Are Your Lights On, The First 90 Days, Elements of Persuasion, Humans vs Computers, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

Favorite quotes:

  • Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.
  • If a park ranger warns you about the bears, it ain’t cause he’s trying to keep all the bear hugs for himself.
  • A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
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