2.9 Design to assist and not to distract
Provide engagement that keeps the visitor’s focus where it needs to be, avoiding anything that will either reduce efficiency or artificially prolong engagement.
Criteria
- User attention: Machine-testable
Ensure users can easily control how and when they receive information, with respect for their attention, focus, and mental energy.- 4 practices for eco-friendly online purchase journeys
- Design for Sustainable Behaviour
- Design Justice Network Principles
- GR491 – 8-5057 – Attention Capturing
- GR491 – 10-3072 – Respect for the User
- Humane By Design
- Laws Of UX
- Psychology of Design
- Society Centered Design
- The Potentially Dangerous Non-Accessibility Of Cookie Notices
- The snake that eats its tail
- Distraction: Machine-testable
Prioritize features that assist rather than distract users, not unnecessarily prolonging the time they spend engaging with your content.- 5 Website Features to Avoid (and how to fix them)
- GR491 – 8-5057 – Attention Capturing
- GR491 – 10-3072 – Respect for the User
- GR491 – 10-3074 – Attention Control
- Top 10 Website Eyesores to Avoid
- Use Distraction Control in Safari to hide items on a webpage
- Web Animation: Delightful or Distracting?
- Web Design Don’ts
- Engagement traps: Machine-testable
Avoid using design strategies intended to artificially prolong user attention, such as infinite scroll.- GPF – General Policy Framework (PDF) – 4.2 – UX and UI (Infinite Scroll)
- GR491 – 8-5057 – Attention Capturing
- GR491 – 10-3072 – Respect for the User
- GR491 – 10-3074 – Attention Control
- GreenIT – 4035 – Prefer pagination over infinite scrolling
- Humane By Design
- Laws Of UX
- Psychology of Design
- Society Centered Design
- United Nations SDGS – Goal 3 – Health & Well-being
Benefits
- Accessibility
Reducing unnecessary barriers can improve accessibility and navigation using assistive technologies. - Environment
Using pagination rather than infinite scrolling allows individuals to request data on demand rather than encouraging overconsumption. This reduces carbon impact while encouraging healthy and sustainable browsing habits. - Performance
Avoiding attention traps improves user experience by reducing the time spent clicking through, closing, or hiding these distractions. Presenting the information in less distracting ways makes the experience feel faster, reduces barriers to access, and improves user flow. - Social Equity
Preserving user focus on their objectives reduces the potential for confusion, mistakes, and lapses in judgment. - Transparency
Avoiding deceptive patterns will boost trust and encourage users to return or recommend.
GRI
- Materials: Medium
- Energy: Medium
- Water: Medium
- Emissions: Medium