Comment Where zebra stripes came from (Score 1) 234
Just thought you might be interested to learn that according to some print professionals and members of the Business Forms Management Association (http://www.bfma.org), zebra striped paper (i.e. green paper) was introduced originally as a way for paper companies to increase market share for their product. That is, zebra striping was a way to differentiate Company A's paper from Company B's - there is no record of it being introduced for reasons of usability.
I stand by my assertion that whilst there are low level principles that support the use of zebra striping (e.g. the Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception), there has been no research to confirm that zebra striping actually helps, in either the paper or electronic medium. This lack of scientific research is important because what is helpful to you and I (and I certainly like zebra striping over plain), may be visual noise or otherwise problematic to another user. Those of you who follow Edward Tufte will know what I mean.
I believe it is healthy to carefully and impartially check our assumptions and habits. Data that supports our design decisions helps us justify them to stakeholders.
Regards,
Jessica
http://formulate.com.au/
I stand by my assertion that whilst there are low level principles that support the use of zebra striping (e.g. the Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception), there has been no research to confirm that zebra striping actually helps, in either the paper or electronic medium. This lack of scientific research is important because what is helpful to you and I (and I certainly like zebra striping over plain), may be visual noise or otherwise problematic to another user. Those of you who follow Edward Tufte will know what I mean.
I believe it is healthy to carefully and impartially check our assumptions and habits. Data that supports our design decisions helps us justify them to stakeholders.
Regards,
Jessica
http://formulate.com.au/
