I’ve noticed some web design features that I’m digging. Primary among these is the emergence of enormous search and data entry fields on some major sites. Sure, big fonts are a sure-fire Web 2.0 design tactic, but extending larger fonts and larger spaces to data entry fields and buttons just makes sense, and people are picking up on it.
Why?
People who design have exceptional mouse skills.
People who use websites do not. Have you ever sat behind your mom while she uses the computer?*
Design for real people. Don’t design for yourself. Nike & MTV are the best examples I could find of rather mainstream companies that are using this feature, while Tumblr & umbrellatoday.com are web-only properties that you’d expect would be on the leading edge.
*No offense, Mom. I wasn’t talking about you. After all, you blog and twitter. Kudos to you.
6 Comments
I’m loving larger search fields too, if that is what the site’s audience is intended to do. I also agree people are picking up the web and people want to be able to bypass unrelated content to them and get right to the point. With knowledge comes power…and web users want it FASTER and EASIER! Great post!
Interesting. Just had a conversation with a client about making search more central (like Google, not anything groundbreaking). But never considered the role size could play. Good stuff.
Kevin - Definitely. If you want people to search, then… maybe make the search box bigger. It’s not rocket surgery, people.
Seth - Yeah, per the above: size, shape and location are all huge issues if you really want people to search. But first things first, you have to offer a worthwhile search function… too many searches are poorly built and just plain don’t work. It’s taken Google years to perfect search, and they’re always working on it.
Thanks for stopping by, fellas.
I have always loved the Tumblr login for that reason!
The “design for real people” reminded me… I read something in WIRED a couple of years ago that I never forgot. Someone was saying that people always tend to think that smaller is better in technology, but while mobile phones get smaller (as the buttons on them do) and smaller, people’s hands still stay the same size.
Johanna -
Awesome example. My Motorola Q is enormous in comparison to a lot of other phones, but the keyboard is big. And my thumbs are big. So it all works out for me, despite the fact that it doesn’t really fit too well in my pocket.
I started to take offense…..