Continuous Scrolling
From Interaction-Patterns.org
Contents |
[edit] Continuous Scrolling
[edit] Quick Summary
The user needs to view a subset of data that is not easily displayed on a single page.
[edit] Visual Examples
Is still missing. Please add links here if you find a suitable example.
[edit] Examples found on the World Wide Web
[edit] Use When
If there is more Information than fits on a normal page and you want to keep the attention on the content and not the navigation.
[edit] Possible Solution
Load new data every time the user scrolled to the bottom of the page to prevent a break in the flow of information.
[edit] Rationale
The problem with using pagination for browsing between subsets of data is that the user is pulled from the world of content to the world of navigation, as the user is required to click to the next page. The user is then no longer thinking about what they are reading, but about how to get more to read. This breaks the user’s train of thought and forces them to stop reading. Using pagination creates a natural pause that lets the user reevaluate if he or she wants to keep going on or leave the site, which they a lot of the time do.
- Note:
It can be argued that Continuous Scrolling can be frustrating for the user, as there is no natural pause. The user will ask himself: When am I done reading? Depending on the information the site contains the above mentioned reevaluation can be useful.
