We are constantly told first impressions count and in web-terms that is sometimes interpreted as anything important must to be in the browser window when it first loads.

From early days the cut-off point became known as  “the fold”  referring back to print terminology and the reading of a broadsheet newspaper. In print it would require a flip of paper to read the other side of the fold,  on the web accessing below the fold would need use of the scroll buttons.

The problem designing to the fold is that it is no single set of dimensions for the part of a web page you can see before having to scroll. The fold varies from user to user based on variables including screen resolution menu height and  how many toolbars the user has at the top of their browser window.

So, is the fold as important as it once was? We’ve had a look and but for a few blog posts, some from many years ago, there doesn’t seem to have been any comprehensive research carried out. The web and its design evolves so quickly, which may be a reason for the lack of research but, with even smartphones carrying the ability to scroll and most desktop mice now incorporating a scroll button, it does appear that the importance once given to ‘the fold’ might now be mis-placed. From the articles we found out there, the newer ones appear to suggest as long as your site is clear and the need to scroll down below the fold is obvious to your user, there seems little to worry about if your site doesn’t fit on one screen. That’s not to give you an excuse to over do it – the web is about concise, shorter copy than print. What it does remind us is that content is king and if you design to the fold and miss out essential information you may lose all potential custom, not just those unwilling to scroll their browser.

So it appears that the advice is to stop worrying about the fold and don’t force yourself to cram things into an ever dwindling but unknown amount of space. There is a lot to gain from blank space on the web, it aids reading text and understanding technical information. Where once ‘the fold’ was a must to be obeyed now it is just one of hundreds of considerations when designing your site and improving your user experience.

Do you design to the fold? Is the concept now out-dated?

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