The computer ships from Dell, I open the box, turn it on, hook it up to the Internet and start surfing the web at 800×600. Talk about scrolling! I was a master at it. I could press in that scroll wheel and pan quicker than most. Then you were told that just because your computer “comes with that resolution” you don’t have to keep it at that resolution. WOW….welcome 1024 x 768 and look out for 1280 x 1024.
Since Y2K the 800×600 share of the Internet-visiting computers has been in a steady decline. Have people figured out how to change their own resolution? Sure. But that isn’t why. Computer manufacturers ship machines now at 1024+ resolutions and software developers ( including Game Developers ) are just about requiring a 1024+ resolution. The graph below illustrates this trend:
The trend toward 1024 and 1280 resolutions means more than you might think. When designing for 800×600 we typically keep “important” items such as navigation, news scrollers, images, key text, etc. above 400px. We call this the ‘fold line’. This term is more commonly used by Newspapers to determine placement for news stories. Newspapers put their best stories in the upper half of the page ( or above the “fold”). A website design concept with an overall height of 700px high means navigation and key elements should be in the top 400 pixels to make sure people browsing at 800×600 resolution view the content without having to scroll down. But, if the accepted standard shifts from 800×600 to 1024×768, your “fold-line” moves down and you have more of that non-scrollable real estate to devote to key web elements. If the trend shifts towards 1280, as the graph suggests, you have even more.
More “above the fold” area equals more “above the fold” advertising space. The space was really always there. The only difference is you used to have to scroll to see it. A site owner keeping web stats and selling advertising could show that 80% of their site visitors are able to view, without scrolling, 30% more of the page than in 2002. This space just became more valuable and therefore has the potential to earn greater returns for the site owner…..as well as the site advertiser.
Are there any “big websites” trending away from the 800×600 crowd? You bet! In 2006 we saw YAHOO.com introduce a wider website design.
Look for the trend toward 1280×768 to continue in 2007….a particularly exciting trend for designers and developers because the “canvas” just got larger.
By Jon Burgess | YELLOWSEVEN | http://www.yellow7.com
* 2007 figures are projected based off early year figures.