How Do You See The Web?

As a Web designer, I often find myself assuming everyone looks at a site the same way I do. When in fact, everyone views the Web differently. Many studies have been done to determine how users approach a website. Specifically, tools such as eyetracking have been utilized to follow how the user views each page.

According to Jakob Nielsen's article F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content, a majority of users view the Web in an F shaped pattern. They begin with a horizontal scan across the page, followed by a smaller horizontal scan, and completed with a vertical scan down the left side of the page. With that being said, Nielsen points out that the most crucial content of each site should be in the top two paragraphs, and that the first word in bullet points should be informative.

I found this study to be very interesting and helpful when coming up with design layouts and copy placement. For future reference, I came up with a list of what I found through additional research and personal experience when it comes to Web user behavior:

• Users prefer to look, not to read. Heavy text can bore the viewer; so visual graphics are a must.
• Color is aesthetically pleasing. But too much color can be distracting and too little color can leave pages flat and uninteresting.
• Although many users view websites in the F shaped pattern, it is important to remember that everyone sees the Web with a different set of eyes. Some people just surf, while others spend extensive amounts of time on each page of a site.
• Finally, and most importantly, simplicity and functionality are fundamental. The less navigation I have to find my way through the better. Additionally, load time and page errors can test anyone’s patience, so keep load time to a minimum and always keep up to date on your sites performance.