When I'm trying to find a particular image or graphic, my first stop is always Google Images (images.google.com). It's fast, easy, and accessible. I don't have to sign in and they don't admonish me to register:

On the whole, it's a great service, implemented with the robustness and simplicity we've come to expect from Google. But there's a subtle flaw in the Google Images navigation:

As you can see if your browser supports animated GIFs, the position of the Google navigation bar shifts across different pages of results - an admittedly minor detail, but one that wreaks havoc with the user's ability to mindlessly click through multiple pages of results by forcing him to frequently reposition the mouse.

It turns the following user interaction:

1. Locate the Next button.
2. Position the mouse over the Next button.
3. Click the Next button, and scan the results.
4. Mindlessly repeat step 3 until the desired image is found.

Into this:

1. Locate the Next button.
2. Position the mouse over the Next button.
3. Click the Next button, and scan the results.
4. Mindlessly repeat step 3, until the desired image is found.
5. Oops, the button moved, can't do that.
6. Position the mouse over the next button.
7. Click the Next button.
8. Carefully repeat steps 6 and 7 until desired image is found.

Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill here, but it seems to me that scrolling through multiple pages of results is a key user interaction for a company like Google. So the question has to be asked: why not position the Navigation bar absolutely, such that it's location doesn't shift?

Better yet, why not position the Navigation bar at the top of the page, next to all the other Search machinery? Best of all, why not place a Navigation bar in both locations?

I'm not exactly holding my breath for an answer. I'll just repeat my mantra: allow users to click mindlessly. Encourage users to click mindlessly. Make it easy for users to click mindlessly. And hope that somebody at Google Inc. hears me.

Posted by James Devlin   3 comment(s)