Definition
Scrolling refers to the action of moving vertically or horizontally through a digital document or webpage, thereby changing the viewable area displayed on the screen. This process emulates the visual effect of unrolling a scroll at one end while rolling it up at the other, allowing users to navigate through the entirety of the content in a linear manner. The origin of the term harks back to historical scrolls, which were physical documents rolled up for storage and unrolled as one read through the text.
Examples
1. Web Browsing
When you visit a webpage, typically not all content fits into the visible screen space. Scrolling down helps you to view additional information like text, images, videos, and links.
2. Document Reading
Reading digital documents such as PDFs or Word files often involves scrolling to navigate through different pages and sections.
3. Social Media
Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, use infinite scrolling to dynamically load new content as you move down the feed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What are the common methods of scrolling? A: Scrolling can be done using a mouse wheel, touchpad gestures, touchscreen swiping, keyboard keys (like the arrow keys, Page Up, and Page Down), and scroll bars.
Q: What is infinite scrolling? A: Infinite scrolling is a web design technique where new content is automatically loaded and appended as the user nears the bottom of the page without needing to refresh or click for the next page.
Q: How does scrolling affect user experience (UX)? A: Good UX design ensures smooth and intuitive scrolling, facilitating easy navigation and preventing user frustration. Poor scrolling experiences can lead to user drop-off and dissatisfaction.
Q: Can scrolling be disabled?
A: Yes, website developers can disable scrolling using CSS properties like overflow: hidden; on the webpage’s HTML or body tag, preventing the user from scrolling the content.
Q: Are there accessibility considerations for scrolling? A: Ensuring smooth and predictable scrolling is vital for users with disabilities. Keyboard navigability and screen reader compatibility should be considered to make scrolling accessible for all users.
Related Terms
Pan
A method of navigating content where the user clicks and drags the viewable area rather than scrolling through it.
Auto-scrolling
A feature that automatically advances the content without user interaction, often used in reading and presentation software.
Scrollbar
A graphical control element used to navigate through a document or webpage. It typically appears on the right or bottom side of a window.
Online References
- W3Schools on CSS Overflow Property
- Mozilla Developer Network (MDN) Web Docs
- Interaction Design Foundation Article on Infinite Scrolling
Suggested Books for Further Studies
- “Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability” by Steve Krug
- “The Design of Everyday Things” by Don Norman
- “Human-Computer Interaction” by Alan Dix, Janet Finlay, Gregory D. Abowd, et al.
- “Designing Web Navigation: Optimizing the User Experience” by James Kalbach
Fundamentals of Scrolling: UX/UI Design Basics Quiz
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