On 1/06/2007, at 4:44 AM, Nicole Maron wrote

 > Hello all, I could use a bit of help proving a rationale for a  
small interaction detail that has some large design consequences.

My first impression is that your client is probably right on this, it  
seems natural to link to a continuation of content from the end of  
the preceding content. That said, I'm having trouble following your  
description: Is the more link for each one of the 3-5 blurbs, or for  
the featured module as a whole (e.g. takes you to a "featured"  
archive)? It may well be that ambiguity in the UI could be solved by  
providing better labels  ('more' being about as useful as 'click  
here') rather than relying on placement alone.

 >  Can anyone cite examples or studies confirming/denying  
eyetracking behavior, or even just anecdotal experience

IMO eyetracking is dubious at best (do we really need it to determine  
that the top left is the hottest spot for ltr language sites, or to  
learn that people ignore ads?), and at worst encourages a certain  
amount of inertia in design and usability. Some time after the buzz  
around the F-pattern [1] (valid only for ltr languages), it was shown  
that design and context [2]  influences eye movement, which you have  
shown a certain concurrence with by describing the factors that  
influence user behaviour:

 > My team has argued that consistent placement and visual treatment  
are the important factors in creating the behavior pattern that will  
allow users to recognize that there is more content [...]

Related to this point is a question around  "what is consistency?".  
Are you arguing for inter-module consistency when it's possible that  
various modules may be better served  by adhering to their own  
internal consistency or established user expectations?


[1]: http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=2776
[2]: http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/usabilitynews/91/eyegaze.html


kind regards
Terrence Wood.

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