[IxDA Discuss] Why do we insist on placing the logo in the topleft corner?

[Katie Albers]

Could they find it? yes, probably. Will they want to
look for it? Probably not. It isn't as though this is
only as old as the Web...It goes far far back.

Another thing...decrease window size (not minimize it
so that you have a labelled icon...just make the
window as small as you can). Notice that the thing
that stays in place is the upper left hand corner.

The reasons for putting the icon there get stronger
with the advent of the Web, not weaker.

Katie

--- Keiyu Kamatani <banzai78.ixda at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks for all the replies.  I have to admit I do
> agree with most points
> raised here, but I can't help but feel that we're
> basing a lot of this on
> conventions and assumptions.  I readily agree that
> people expect to see the
> logo in the top left, but unlike more established
> conventions I'm not sold
> on the doomsday consequence scenario.  Increasingly
> well-educated (and
> savvy) surfers means they are more capable and
> quick-learning.  On the
> flip-side, this would suggest less tolerance for
> poorly implemented ideas,
> which leads me to my final point: if I designed a
> site with the logo on the
> right, and backed my decision with proper research
> and usability principles
> am I really making the wrong choice?  Wouldn't users
> quickly learn and find
> that there's absolutely nothing wrong with the logo
> on the right, and
> perhaps help differentiate my clients brand in a
> positive manner?  At this
> point I'm leaning towards yes...
> 
> Keiyu
> 
> On 8/8/07, Susie Robson <Susie.Robson at mathworks.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > FYI-I should have been specific about the Z
> pattern when reading-that is
> > from the hard copy (such as magazine ads), not web
> sites.
> >
> >
> >
> > Susie
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > From: W Evans [mailto:wkevans4 at gmail.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 9:17 AM
> > To: Susie Robson
> > Cc: Manish Pillewar; discuss at ixda.org
> > Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Why do we insist on
> placing the logo in the
> > topleft corner?
> >
> >
> >
> > Here is some research:
> >
> >
>
http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/usabilitynews/91/eyegaze.html
> >
> > Eye Gaze Patterns while Searching vs. Browsing a
> Website
> >
> > By Sav Shrestha <mailto:sxshrestha3 at wichita.edu> 
> & Kelsi Lenz <mailto:
> > kmlenz at wichita.edu>
> >
> >                 Summary: This article discusses
> users' visual scan paths
> > of web pages containing text and/or pictures while
> conducting browsing and
> > searching tasks. User performance on three
> usability tasks on an e-commerce
> > website is described. Results show that users
> follow a fairly uniform scan
> > path when browsing through pictures, and a more
> random path while
> > specifically searching through them. Additionally,
> users appeared to follow
> > Nielsen's 'F' pattern (2006) while both browsing
> and searching through
> > text-based pages.
> >
> > Introduction
> >
> > According to Nielsen (2006) users tend to focus on
> the left side of the
> > body of a webpage when reading and fixate very
> little on information located
> > on the right-hand side. Users maintain this 'F'
> viewing pattern with a few
> > horizontal scans, the first one being longer than
> the second and a long
> > vertical scan (Figure 1). Implications of this are
> that users may miss
> > valuable information located on the right-hand
> side of the page.
> >
> > <
> >
>
http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/usabilitynews/91/images/eyetracking_corporate_site_about_us.png
> > >
> > http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html
> >
> > Figure 1.  The "F" pattern as noted by Nielsen
> (2006).
> > (The red areas indicate the highest number of
> fixations, followed by
> > yellow and blue.)
> >
> > This study investigated whether the "F" pattern
> style of viewing was
> > dependent on the page content (text-based vs.
> picture-based) and/or on the
> > user task (searching vs. browsing). This
> information could play a valuable
> > role in determining where companies should place
> certain types of
> > information on web pages.
> >
> >
> >
> > On 8/8/07, Susie Robson
> <Susie.Robson at mathworks.com > wrote:
> >
> > I don't have specific articles to cite but I have
> taken many design
> > classes throughout the years, and have been taught
> that the top left is one
> > of the best places for logo placement. This goes
> back to print copy as
> > well--take a look at any magazine cover--where is
> the logo/title? Always top
> > left. Western culture reads from left to right so
> we are used to starting at
> > the top left with just about anything and then
> tend to read in a Z pattern
> > (top left then across to right, then down to
> bottom left and across to the
> > right again--if fact, in print anyway, sometimes
> the bottom right is a good
> > place for a logo). Most design is because of print
> design and many studies
> > were done throughout the years and standards were
> developed because of
> > these. There are other places to put logos but it
> depends on the layout of
> > the rest of the page (hardcopy again) and the grid
> you use.
> >
> > I know everyone wants to be innovative but there
> are good reasons to have
> > standards and it's better to use that creativity
> and innovation in other
> > ways.
> >
> > Susie
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From:
> discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
> [mailto:
> > discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com ]
> On Behalf Of Manish
> > Pillewar
> > Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 9:00 AM
> > To: discuss at ixda.org
> > Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Why do we insist on
> placing the logo in the
> > topleft corner?
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > I've been having these doubts since a long time.
> Glad
> > this came up.
> >
> > I remember attending a UI Workshop during my
> college
> > days. We were asked to create menu structure and
> the
> > interface thereon. While everyone placed the menu
> at
> > the left, i instinctively placed it on the right.
> I
> > find this convenient and tend to think the users
> would
> > be naturally drawn to whats on their right faster
> than
> > whats on the left. I was surprised then to know
> that
> > research says we all look to the left instead.
> >
> > Has it been scientifically proved that its the way
> the
> > brain works(naturally) and has nothing to do with
> our
> > experience with computers(dos-left command prompt,
> > windows-left start menu,etc)?
> >
> > I'm trying to cite examples from the real world
> where
> 
=== message truncated ===



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