Flat UI Elements Lack Clickability Clues and Cause Confusion

Summary: Our eyetracking studies show flat UI design often possess weak signifiers and lack sufficient clues to indicate actionable elements on the screen.

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Flat UI Elements Attract Less Attention and Cause Uncertainty

Flat interfaces often use weak signifiers. In an eyetracking experiment comparing different kinds of clickability clues, UIs with weak signifiers required more user effort than strong ones.

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Kate Moran is a former NN/G employee who worked on research, teaching, management, and thought leadership. Her expertise spanned qualitative and quantitative research methods. At NN/G Kate published research findings on topics such as digital content, information-seeking user behaviors, and AI.

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