Article: The myth of the page fold: evidence from user testing
Source: http://www.cxpartners.co.uk/cxblog/the_myth_of_the_page_fold_evidence_from_user_testing/
Analysis:
This article starts off with an overview of the “above the fold” design concept. The idea is that a designer should place the most important information in clear view of the reader. For newspapers that means content on the cover page above the fold and for web design that means the area of the webpage that can be viewed without scrolling.
It’s then shown that there are very successful companies out on the web today that break the “above the fold” concept. The question is raised about the importance of placing content above the fold and how a successful website is possible while bypassing what was once considered a fundamental rule.
While reading the article and reviewing the examples I began to think of how I’ve used the above the fold concept. Any website that I’ve designed up until this point has more or less followed this rule but I now believe that it’s possible to have a successful website that does not follow this rule.
Thinking more broadly I believe the idea that the most important content must be above the fold should be replaced with the idea that the most important audience draw should be above the fold. Now by this I mean brand, visual, audio, etc… Returning visitors/customers may already be familiar with the website’s content/service/brand and would likely have a favorable impression. These individuals will be likely to explore beyond the immediate visual space. New visitors/customers may need to be enticed to explore a new sight. Having a large and attractive visual that takes up most if not all of the above the fold space pushes these visitors to explore.
I found this article quite interesting and beneficial for me to consider when dealing with new projects. Since I do not have the time or the money to really dig into much user testing at this point in my career (especially user eye tracking) it’s always beneficial to review credible sources for the take-aways they get from their tests. Why re-invent the wheel when it’s not necessary? Being a visual learner, heat-maps are the perfect eye-candy to communicate what the users might find interesting (as well as distracting should the creator want viewer focus to be elsewhere).
This is a related article that offered the perspective that different sites have different user preferences when it comes to scrolling. See: http://webusability-blog.com/page-fold-myth-or-reality/
Another webmonkey.com has an article that states “Good use of whitespace and imagery encourages exploration” and I could not agree more. I love simple and uncluttered space (whether in personal organization or websites I frequent). Clear and clean communication and emphasis is key. Here’s the article: http://www.webmonkey.com/2009/10/debunking_the_myth_of_the_page_fold_in_web_design/
