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Honest to God, this just happened: I went to the site, tried clicking the penguin, then the iceberg, then the article squares at the top. Saw something about

by dpcan 17y ago

Honest to God, this just happened: I went to the site, tried clicking the penguin, then the iceberg, then the article squares at the top. Saw something about how I can't spell. I then came back to HN. I had second thoughts. I returned to the site and THEN noticed I could scroll down. ... I get it, we're all so tech savvy, but I'm telling you, the pixels above the fold are extremely important. If they don't MAKE you want to scroll down, many people will not.

nudist 17y ago
Interesting, anecdote, but user tests show that you are in the minority. About 80% of people immediately scroll down when they reach a new page with sparse content at the top of the page.
- idoh 17y ago
  What happens to the other 20%?
  - ghotli 17y ago
    We are still working out the best patterns for web browsing. The web is still surprisingly young. That 20% will learn eventually. Make it easy on the eyes, space it out, consider your use of typography, and avoid TL;DR. These concepts seem like they will persist. To use those design tenants we just need more space. If that means moving the meat of the page below the fold and keeping a nice hook up at the top then I believe that's the way future web design patterns will go.
    - jacobolus 17y ago
      tenets :) (sorry, I just finished reading the OP’s other article, http://iampaddy.com/spell/ http://iampaddy.com/spell/ and couldn’t help myself)
- aw3c2 17y ago
  I do not believe that. Especially for the quick/stress/next-page/new-link people, what they first see must keep them around.
- mhansen 17y ago
  User tests for this page? Or basecamp's page? This page looks complete without having to scroll down.
- Sukotto 17y ago
  [citation needed]
misterbwong 17y ago
If they don't MAKE you want to scroll down, many people will not. This is a very real distinction that should be included in these fold discussions. Many of these pro/con arguments fail to take into account the content of the page that is above the fold. If the content above the fold does not visually lead you to the conclusion that there is content below the fold, users will not go there. I'd bet that many people did not know to scroll down on the author's site because what's above the fold doesn't tell the user that there is content below it. Had the author, say, moved the text down so that it was bisected by the fold, more readers would scroll. Things like horizontal lines and paragraph endings just above the fold signal to the user that the page is "done." Other cues, such as bisected text or obviously bisected images, tell the user the opposite.
davidw 17y ago
You didn't, you know... read any of the words?
- dzohrob 17y ago
  most people don't.
  - davidw 17y ago
    This sort of design might work out for people who are not so proficient with the written word: http://www.barney.com/usa/index.asp http://www.barney.com/usa/index.asp It is entirely above the fold. I can't believe that even semi-literate adults do not usually at least glance at large, simple text on a page like that.

by dpcan 17y ago

nudist 17y ago

Interesting, anecdote, but user tests show that you are in the minority. About 80% of people immediately scroll down when they reach a new page with sparse content at the top of the page.

idoh 17y ago
What happens to the other 20%?
- ghotli 17y ago
  We are still working out the best patterns for web browsing. The web is still surprisingly young. That 20% will learn eventually. Make it easy on the eyes, space it out, consider your use of typography, and avoid TL;DR. These concepts seem like they will persist. To use those design tenants we just need more space. If that means moving the meat of the page below the fold and keeping a nice hook up at the top then I believe that's the way future web design patterns will go.
  - jacobolus 17y ago
    tenets :) (sorry, I just finished reading the OP’s other article, http://iampaddy.com/spell/ http://iampaddy.com/spell/ and couldn’t help myself)
aw3c2 17y ago
I do not believe that. Especially for the quick/stress/next-page/new-link people, what they first see must keep them around.
mhansen 17y ago
User tests for this page? Or basecamp's page? This page looks complete without having to scroll down.
Sukotto 17y ago
[citation needed]

misterbwong 17y ago

If they don't MAKE you want to scroll down, many people will not. This is a very real distinction that should be included in these fold discussions. Many of these pro/con arguments fail to take into account the content of the page that is above the fold. If the content above the fold does not visually lead you to the conclusion that there is content below the fold, users will not go there. I'd bet that many people did not know to scroll down on the author's site because what's above the fold doesn't tell the user that there is content below it. Had the author, say, moved the text down so that it was bisected by the fold, more readers would scroll. Things like horizontal lines and paragraph endings just above the fold signal to the user that the page is "done." Other cues, such as bisected text or obviously bisected images, tell the user the opposite.

davidw 17y ago

You didn't, you know... read any of the words?

dzohrob 17y ago
most people don't.
- davidw 17y ago
  This sort of design might work out for people who are not so proficient with the written word: http://www.barney.com/usa/index.asp http://www.barney.com/usa/index.asp It is entirely above the fold. I can't believe that even semi-literate adults do not usually at least glance at large, simple text on a page like that.