September 18th, 2009 | No Comments
Upgrading gracefully is a term I created (I think I am the first) to describe the idea of allowing future websites to view as effectively in the future as they do for the standards of today.
Above the Fold: What is it?
Above the fold is a term originally used in the newspaper industry to indicate that important information should appear in the top half of the paper. The reason was that most papers are delivered and displayed to customers folded up, meaning that only the top half of the front page is visible.
This term has been extended and used in web design to refer the portions of a webpage that can be visible without scrolling.
But is it legit?
In the early stages of the web, if you were not above the fold, you were nothing. That may be a bit harsh, but the overwhelming consensus was that users did not like to scroll, did not want to scroll, and in many cases, would not scroll, so if you were not living above the fold, you were doing something very wrong.
But this is today, and the web has matured a bit beyond its infancy and users are *slightly* more sophisticated then they were before. So there is less consensus with regard to the validity of above the fold today.
There is some quality evidence supporting the concept that above the fold is no longer important (or, much less important). Here are two excellent blog articles that weigh in their opinions (with documented statistics): http://blog.clicktale.com/?p=19 and http://www.boxesandarrows.com/view/blasting-the-myth-of
What now?
The evidence certainly suggests that scrolling isn’t as evil as we once thought, but does that mean we should abandon the concept of above the fold? Of course not.
As Ms. Tarquini suggested, “The most basic rule of thumb is that for every site the user should be able to understand what your site is about by the information presented to them above the fold. If they have to scroll to even discover what the site is, its success is unlikely.”
But where is the fold?
Even if we selected the 1024×768 standard used in today’s web design, the fold location can vary 40 or 50 pixels. So does it break at 550? 580? 600? What about when we consider larger, high resolution monitors? What about the increasing trend of multiple, vertically aligned monitors to form one enormous, Voltron-inspired monitor?
Prioritize Content
The key, my dear readers, is to prioritize content. Put simply: If it is important, place it at the top.
But then we have to consider what is important, and this requires managing boss/clients’ expectations. Too often I meet with clients and they want to put 10 pounds of rice in a five pound bag. I am confident that I am not the only one battling such wars.
Simply explain to them that when everything is emphasized, nothing is emphasized. When we cram too much information into a small space, we confuse the user.
Decide what you want the user to do or see MOST, and then place that above the fold. The remaining information, still prioritized, can scroll. If properly executed, this allows higher resolutions to see comfortably, allowing the site to “upgrade gracefully”.
