Deciphering the Infinite Scroll Trend in Website Design
At the start of every new year, web designing pundits sit down to look over the developments in the past year to predict the trends for the coming months. This year, the pundits have forecasted a growing relevance of the infinite scroll trend in website design or the rise of the single long-page layout. This design phenomenon came into prominence last year and from then onwards, has picked up steadily in popularity. But before you feel inspired to adopt it for your website, it is worthwhile to delve into the whys and the wherefores of the trend so that you can appreciate it and use it more meaningfully.
What Prompted the Development of the Infinite Scroll Trend?
The infinite scroll trend is the absolute antithesis of the golden rule of website design that harps on placing the lion’s share of the content above the fold. It seems that designers today have overcome their fear (or hatred) of the scroll and have embraced the single long-page layout. Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr had incorporated this design principle long ago. But it was actually the smartphone revolution that compelled websites to embrace this design concept.
Smartphones and tablets have small and narrow interfaces. The infinite scroll design makes browsing convenient on such devices. Besides, most smartphone users are already accustomed to using this layout courtesy of the social networking sites that use these designs. So designers naturally veered towards the vertical content layout.
What Types of Websites Can Carry Off the Infinite Scroll Layout?
The infinite scroll website design is just like any other fashion trend. Fashion should be aped with caution, and you should follow a trend only if you can carry it off with aplomb. The infinite scroll layout is not suited to all kinds of websites nor is it guaranteed that adopting this design will improve the functionality of every site.
This particular layout is most suitable for websites that receive a large mobile footfall and also those with content that is most conveniently read when presented in a single-page...read more