Less visual clutter means fewer elements competing for users’ attention, and, in theory, users may find the important details (call to action, relevant piece of content) faster. Few attention switches from one source of information to anotherįor tasks like document-authoring or intensive reading, which require a significant level of cognitive function, it seems like minimizing visual distractions would be an obvious way to decrease the cognitive load and interaction cost.Is Zen Mode Good for UX?īefore we discuss the details of this pattern, let’s reiterate that a good user experience generally has the following qualities: This option hid the navigation bar and the right rail, in the interest of emphasizing content. The 2015 version of Nieman Journalism Lab’s site offered a View in zen mode option in the right sidebar. Formatting options appeared when the user highlighted text. Novlr’s Focus mode hid all toolbars and extraneous information when the user began typing. Microsoft Word allowed users to “autohide” the tool ribbon when not in use, creating a distraction-free workspace. As a metaphor, a zen approach to a task may thus turn the person towards the task, immerse her totally in the activity, and free her of external distractions.ĭefinition: Zen (focus) mode in UI refers to an interaction pattern that temporarily hides UI elements from the screen to allow users to focus completely on the content. Zen is a type of Buddhism that emphasizes meditation and turns the person towards herself. In this article we analyze a minimalism-inspired pattern that we call “zen mode”: a design pattern that temporarily eliminates the chrome elements to allow users to get immersed in the task at hand. After much trial and error, it has become increasingly apparent that less is not always more. Two extremes of such styles were skeuomorphism (three-dimensional design that mirrors reality) and minimalism, often associated with “flat” design. UI design has seen many trends come and go over the past twenty years.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |