Comments on: The Paper Of Record Goes Long http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2006/04/12/the-paper-of-record-goes-long/ UIE\'s latest insights on the world of design Sat, 20 Mar 2010 16:51:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Joshua http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2006/04/12/the-paper-of-record-goes-long/comment-page-1/#comment-6120 Joshua Wed, 19 Apr 2006 11:38:49 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/?p=221#comment-6120 I wonder how wide layouts will get. From my personal experience, I never maximize the screen when browsing. It would seem that some of these design choices are assuming that happens. Is there a point at which this expansion slows down, in favor of having multiple, full-size windows on the screen? I wonder how wide layouts will get. From my personal experience, I never maximize the screen when browsing. It would seem that some of these design choices are assuming that happens. Is there a point at which this expansion slows down, in favor of having multiple, full-size windows on the screen?

]]> By: Elizabeth Harris Philbrick http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2006/04/12/the-paper-of-record-goes-long/comment-page-1/#comment-6078 Elizabeth Harris Philbrick Tue, 18 Apr 2006 23:58:03 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/?p=221#comment-6078 Less than 30% of our users world wide view our site at 800. We are just this year spreading to 1024 though maintain several content type restrictions. Our three column layout places all booking/revenue content in the left column, not my favorite for usability but all users can see it and our task tests score well. Our center column is for main content, again, viewable to all users with a width a little less than 600 and our right column is the difference of 1024 and 800 with an aprox width of 220. Only suplimental non revenue generating content is allowed in the right column. I suggest working with a usability/IA team to create template for your product teams. Expand your content to enhance the experience for the majority of your users without hampering your secondary user group. Less than 30% of our users world wide view our site at 800. We are just this year spreading to 1024 though maintain several content type restrictions.
Our three column layout places all booking/revenue content in the left column, not my favorite for usability but all users can see it and our task tests score well. Our center column is for main content, again, viewable to all users with a width a little less than 600 and our right column is the difference of 1024 and 800 with an aprox width of 220. Only suplimental non revenue generating content is allowed in the right column.

I suggest working with a usability/IA team to create template for your product teams. Expand your content to enhance the experience for the majority of your users without hampering your secondary user group.

]]> By: Moe Rubenzahl http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2006/04/12/the-paper-of-record-goes-long/comment-page-1/#comment-6034 Moe Rubenzahl Mon, 17 Apr 2006 23:40:43 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/?p=221#comment-6034 I'm in a quandary over screen width - noted as Zephyr did, that all the examples cited had gone wide. I manage a site for a 2-billion dollar high-tech manufacturer. Our audience is engineers, a group one would expect would all have wide screens. But no -- 12% of site visitors are 800-wide! People in the product groups are forever after me to widen our page and so far I have refused. My arguments are that we want to defend the 12%. But more so, I worry that if I give them more room, they will cram more onto each page without paying enough attention to good design. These are engineers, you know! My clinching argument is that most other commercial sites use 800-wide but the cases are dwindling. What are current thoughts on this? Should I crumble and let them design with the width of the Times? I think not -- the mission of a news site is different. What do other think? I’m in a quandary over screen width – noted as Zephyr did, that all the examples cited had gone wide.

I manage a site for a 2-billion dollar high-tech manufacturer. Our audience is engineers, a group one would expect would all have wide screens. But no — 12% of site visitors are 800-wide!

People in the product groups are forever after me to widen our page and so far I have refused. My arguments are that we want to defend the 12%. But more so, I worry that if I give them more room, they will cram more onto each page without paying enough attention to good design. These are engineers, you know!

My clinching argument is that most other commercial sites use 800-wide but the cases are dwindling.

What are current thoughts on this? Should I crumble and let them design with the width of the Times? I think not — the mission of a news site is different. What do other think?

]]> By: Tomm Eriksen http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2006/04/12/the-paper-of-record-goes-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5728 Tomm Eriksen Thu, 13 Apr 2006 17:02:29 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/?p=221#comment-5728 Maybe it's just me, but I certainly dislike really wide webpages with fixed width and with lots of columns. Everywhere I look, websites just seem to get wider and wider, especially online newspapers. Almost like a plague :) Most of them use the extra width to add another column (like the New York Times). Have you measured what impact the number of columns (or width of a webpage) have on user-satisfaction or the scannability of a webpage? The strange thing is that on paper, every newspaper (in Norway at least) are moving in the oppsite direction, to the tabloid format, ditching the old full format. Maybe it’s just me, but I certainly dislike really wide webpages with fixed width and with lots of columns. Everywhere I look, websites just seem to get wider and wider, especially online newspapers. Almost like a plague :) Most of them use the extra width to add another column (like the New York Times).

Have you measured what impact the number of columns (or width of a webpage) have on user-satisfaction or the scannability of a webpage?

The strange thing is that on paper, every newspaper (in Norway at least) are moving in the oppsite direction, to the tabloid format, ditching the old full format.

]]> By: Jared Spool http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2006/04/12/the-paper-of-record-goes-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5635 Jared Spool Wed, 12 Apr 2006 19:30:47 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/?p=221#comment-5635 A lot of designs are now moving to 900 - 1000 pixel widths. That's becoming more common. It was inevitable, with the increase in higher resolution screens. A lot of designs are now moving to 900 – 1000 pixel widths. That’s becoming more common. It was inevitable, with the increase in higher resolution screens.

]]> By: Zephyr http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/2006/04/12/the-paper-of-record-goes-long/comment-page-1/#comment-5617 Zephyr Wed, 12 Apr 2006 15:25:45 +0000 http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/?p=221#comment-5617 I also noticed how they are increasing width everytime. It seems they have given up on people using 800x600 screens now. I also noticed how they are increasing width everytime. It seems they have given up on people using 800×600 screens now.

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