Ask HN: what's up with half-on-the-screen design?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5529752

by keiferski • 13 years ago

6 5 13 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Lately I've been noticing a trend of having graphic elements partially going off the screen.

Some examples:

http://pinterest.com/

https://delicious.com/

http://alistapart.com/

What's your opinion on this? Personally, I find it annoying - I scroll up/down and expect to see the other half.

kmack• 13 years ago

totally agreed, gets me every time

relaunched• 13 years ago

I just had this conversation at work. It reinforces a very import user behavior that a few years back everyone messed up. We used to think you had to fit everything "above the fold". After running a lot of multivariate tests, watching user behavior and using websites, I learned that the fold, in most cases, is myth.

It turns out that people will scroll down, if there is a compelling reason to. Now, having elements partially off screen is a very simple way of ensuring people will continue to scroll down. And in the last few years, with the proliferation of the infinity scroll, off the screen elements are more popular than ever.

Delphiki• 13 years ago

Not quite sure that's the question he's asking about. In the case of Pinterest, the page isn't scrollable--the image appears to be cut in half by the bottom of the page. In the case of Delicious, the image is cut off by the right side of the page. You can't scroll horizontally here. On A List Apart, the top of the title is cut off, and you can't scroll up to see the rest of it.

I think the reason for this is it gives them impression that there's a lot more to the website (even if there really isn't), by not being confined to exist entirely within the page. Also, by cutting off sections of the graphics and text, you are saving yourself a little bit of screen real estate while simultaneously doing something different and eye catching.

Just my $.02 though.

larrydavid• 13 years ago

Pinterest does scroll downwards (infinite scroll as well). And he's right, it prompts the user to scroll down out of curiosity. IIRC Apple have employed this technique in the most recent update to the App Store, except you scroll horizontally.

In regards to the OP, I don't think the examples are related at all. The Pinterest example is more of a functional design choice (which I think works quite well), while the other two are purely aesthetic.

I agree with you on your second paragraph, the Delicious and ALA examples are simply a way to try and look a bit different. The A List Apart logo design choice caused quite a stir when they unveiled the redesign a few months back.

Ask HN: what's up with half-on-the-screen design?

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