Could I have the Menu Please? An Eye Tracking Study of Design Conventions

Abstract

Existing Web design guidelines give conflicting advice on the best position for the navigation menu. One set of guidelines is based on user expectation of layout, the other on results from user testing with alternative layouts. To resolve this conflict we test whether placing the menu in an unexpected position has a negative impact on search performance. The results show that users rapidly adapt to an unexpected screen layout. We conclude that designers should not be inhibited in applying design recommendations that violate layout conventions as long as consistency is maintained within a site.