Debunking Web Design Myths

Many of the web design beliefs we have held for many years no longer apply. A new article on TopOneReport.com explains three design myths.

Myth #1 – “The Fold”

“The Fold” is a term in graphic design that refers to the upper half of the front of a newspaper. It is usually used on the Internet to refer to the area you see on a website before having to use the scroll bar.

Designers have long believed the area above “The Fold” to be the most valuable of online real estate. We have adjusted our sites to fit as much content as possible above the fold, we have used multiple pages, and crammed our navigation into drop-down menus all in order to limit users’ need to scroll. I even recall seeing in-page scroll boxes used in designs to get content above the fold and prevent scrolling, which never made any sense!

I am here to say: “The Fold” is officially a myth. The once forbidden act of scrolling has now been embraced by the increasingly web-savvy masses. In fact, eye tracking research conducted by CX Partners has shown that visitors are starting to use scroll bars to assess page length and indicate content below the fold.

Change is good. Technology and the Internet are evolving at a breakneck pace, and it can be challenging to always stay abreast of what is true in the moment. Knowing when web design myths are defunct will help your site stay up to date with the evolving design trends.

Want to read the full article? Click here.