Gothamist: Forced to Be Menu Illiterate

hijiki

Wed, 12 Oct 2005 07:09:06 -0500

i think newspapers also put their top story in the upper right (NE) corner. not only do publishers (not the designers choice!) put ads on the outside, but usually on the right-hand page. if you flip through any mass-market magazine you'll see how ads are usually on the right and content on the left. with a feature story opening spread, the title and lead-in are usually on the right-hand page because that's where the eye naturally gravitates... there's more immediate impact for the reader.

Joclyn

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 21:04:38 -0500

I am SO happy to hear that I am not the only one who moves the candle closer to read the menu! I'm canceling that ophthalmologist appointment first thing tomorrow!

Jen

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 18:27:18 -0500

Well, this was about the science of menu reading. If I were better at Photoshop, I'd draw you the diagram, but imagine like this: - Two facing pages (Left and Right) - Each facing page has two columns When reading the menu, the eye will look at the top right column of the right facing page first. I don't know why, but that's what a menu designer claimed in the study. And at first, it seemed to make intuitive sense (that's why people put ads on the right column, versus the middle/gutter in magazines and newspapers). THEN the eye goes to the lower left column, still on the facing right page. Yes, I know, weird. I'll try to find the magazine and scan in the image.

hashashin

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 17:20:41 -0500

Upper right to lower right, NE to SW? I'm sorry, but that makes no sense. I'm pretty sure the former is a typo, but if you meant the latter, then people are reading right-to-left, which is the opposite of the way people read the English language. I'm pretty sure I start a menu on the upper left, where the appetizers usually are.