March 2, 2010
The Human Face: How to Choose Effective Website Photos and Images, Part 3
Using faces in photos on your website presents some unique challenges. I’ll group these challenges into two major groups for this article: “Faces draw attention” and “Faces don’t mean the same thing to everyone.”
Major Challenge #1: Faces Draw Attention
People look at faces. That’s just how we’re built, as humans. We look at eyes and mouths in particular to help us identify the person, their mood, and their intent towards us.
This can pose a problem for websites if faces are not used carefully. A face — or faces — in a prominent location on your web page can easily distract attention away from your product, message, or call to action. In other words, faces can become a true detriment to your website. For example, take a look at the Shutterfly home page…
Using faces in photos on your website presents some unique challenges. I’ll group these challenges into two major groups for this article: “Faces draw attention” and “Faces don’t mean the same thing to everyone.”
…Read the full article, with image examples, on WilsonWeb.com >
Great article, really a tutorial that would be a useful resource for junior client-side execs. The stock photo point could be driven home a bit harder — the proliferation of cheap stock has diluted the power of imagery all over the Web, and made it possible to stand out by being more thoughtful and selective in using people photos. Thanks!!!
Hey Ken, I totally agree with you about stock photos! I spoke a bit more to that point in this earlier article: http://www.wilsonweb.com/design/niehaus-choosing-images1.htm (see “Guideline #3″). But I agree, the issue deserves much more attention. Future post material! –S