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Apr
24
2008

Eye-tracking software was used to determine on several web pages the pattern people view the pages. Consistently it is in a F-Shaped pattern. Do students do the same with web content?

www.useit.com/...reading_pattern.html
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usability web design

    • Implications of the F Pattern

       The F pattern's implications for Web design are clear and show the importance of following the guidelines for writing for the Web instead of repurposing print content: 
      • Users won't read your text thoroughly in a word-by-word manner. Exhaustive reading is rare, especially when prospective customers are conducting their initial research to compile a shortlist of vendors. Yes, some people will read more, but most won't. 
      • The first two paragraphs must state the most important information. There's some hope that users will actually read this material, though they'll probably read more of the first paragraph than the second. 
      • Start subheads, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content in the final stem of their F-behavior. They'll read the third word on a line much less often than the first two words.
  • The biggest determinant for content usability is how users read online - and because people read differently, you have to write differently.
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