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

[Hollis, Heather]

Hi - I'm new to posting to this list and have been an observer for a
while

Just couldn't resist on replying to this - the logo in the upper left
has always perturbed me and am always on every possible occasion trying
to rethink logo placement in context of branded websites and how can we
create a new presentation that evokes the brand where the obvious
identifier such as a logo isn't needed - certain product design does
this well - the form is the brand and there isn't the need for a logo
slapped on as an identifier - I think web design is in an infantile
stage still and when technology matures we will have alot of opportunity
to rethink/challenge today's standards that are primarily influenced by
print

Ages ago we did eye tracking studies when they were vogue and the tests
revealed to us that the user (cant stand that word - I think of an
addict every time I use it) naturally looks to the top left first - not
sure this reveals a result of habit or natural intention 

Best
HH

CD,CNN.com

-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
[mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of
Bryan Minihan
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 9:11 PM
To: 'Steve Baty'; 'Keiyu Kamatani'
Cc: discuss at ixda.org
Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Why do we insist on placing the logo in
thetopleft corner?

For internal apps, our general guidance is: Logo in the upper left,
Search
in the upper right (when available).  Some folks like to spend lots of
money
on an unrecognizable/meaningless logo - for those we recommend just the
name
of the application and/or page in the upper left (more obvious) and the
logo
(if we don't tell them to get rid of it) in the upper right.  I'm
thinking
along the lines of a giant purple leopard that's supposed to represent
the
internal fleet management team (we've had worse).

I agree with Steve, in that the upper left is the easiest place for
people
to recognize where they are, without taking up space where people would
look
for other things (like search, primary nav, etc).

- Bryan
http://www.bryanminihan.com
 

-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com
[mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of
Steve
Baty
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2007 9:00 PM
To: Keiyu Kamatani
Cc: discuss at ixda.org
Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] Why do we insist on placing the logo in the
topleft corner?

Keiyu,

"What I wanted to ask everyone here is why does the logo need to be in
the
top left corner of a page?  Is this simply a consequence of convention?
Have there been studies indicating that users get frustrated when the
logo's
placed on the right side?  Or is there a more fundamental issue of
usability?"

For us it's a question of providing a very fast, visual cue to the
visitor
of where they've landed. Top-left loads early; is where the eye is
(/tends
to be)  drawn; and follows a reasonably well-established convention.
Nothing
too mystical or dogmatic about it.

Regards,

Steve Baty

----------------------------------------------
Steve 'Doc' Baty B.Sc (Maths), M.EC, MBA
Director, User Experience Strategy
Red Square
P: +612 8289 4930
M: +61 417 061 292

Member, UPA - www.upassoc.org
Member, IxDA - www.ixda.org
Member, Web Standards Group - www.webstandardsgroup.org
Columnist, UXMatters - www.uxmatters.com
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