Based on what I've read (which might not have been very extensive), faces unfortunately do have an effect on users--but I think you can use that to your advantage in this argument.
http://usableworld.com.au/2009/03/16/you-look-where-they-look/ Users tend to fixate on pictures of faces. The question is, how will the design take advantage of this effect? You probably want users to focus on the main article or the main message. If that's the case, then putting people in the header will distract users from the main content. Faces should probably be used only when the goal is to draw the users' eyes to a particular spot. Even if the design accounts for this by making the images look more neutral, I think the images would still compete with the primary content. On a side note, I wonder what an eye tracking study would reveal about writers' pictures in the NY Times...I actually have trouble reading these articles, especially because of the proximity of the photo to the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/opinion/24friedman.html (Disclaimer: I'm not an expert, just a student, and I've never done any research on this type of thing.) Dan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=48858 ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
