PlsConventionalLayout

Part of PatternLanguageForTheSocialNetwork

JakobNielsen points out that users spend more of their time on other people's sites than yours. So take advantage of that by making their learning on other people's sites applicable to yours. Make your site look, feel and work as similarly to others as possible.

(The counter argument, that you need to differentiate your site from others, is often bogus. People don't compare sites for attractiveness or originality. Unless the difference offers something compelling, it's unlikely to attract the right kind of attention (More likely "Huh! How do I do X? Why doesn't it work?" rather than "Cool! It's excitingly fresh that it uses Flash sliders instead of radio buttons.)

StewartBrand suggest something similar with the idea of Vernacular design of houses. Chances are, the houses in the area have the design they have, and use the materials they do because that design copes with the weather round here, and that material is local and easy to get more of for maintainence.

In a sense this the principle of NetworkExternality affecting design.

CategoryPls