As one of the fundamental and most popular concepts for creating content, the F layout is just as relevant for web designers as it is for editors.
Web designers use the F layout in order to accommodate for the user’s natural online reading behavior. That’s why this layout feels comfortable and intuitive to the user. The most important information can be absorbed easily and in a familiar way: from left to right and top to bottom.
The first thing that is normally noticed on a website is the branding, i.e. the logo and page title, as this is usually found in the page’s header area, or at least somewhere in the upper left area. This is followed by the content. One should be aware that image elements attract the most attention, followed closely by headings or titles. The main body text that follows receives far less attention, as the user mostly just skims through this section for their desired keywords. Bold text and sub-headings then serve as an anchor or focal point for the user. At least, according to the theory.
When it comes to the cohesive integration of design and text, the main challenge is giving equal weighting to each aspect of content: using visual anchor points skillfully while not neglecting either text or content. Images and headlines stand out the most and far less attention is paid to main body text. The most important facts or offers should, therefore, be mentioned in the text as early as possible, so that no content is wasted. It’s important to keep generating ideas for creative uses of typography and innovative page elements, so that the user does not get bored of the same format and so that designers don’t have to sacrifice their creative freedom. When working on pages with an F layout, graphic designers have to remember to create a format that suits texts, while writers shouldn’t forget about graphic design.
Content and design coming together gives rise to new concepts, such as the Z pattern layout. The Z pattern is another empirically observed reading habit of internet users; this is where the eye moves in a ‘Z’ shape when scanning a website, i.e. starting the reading flow in the upper left corner, moving horizontally to the right, then roaming diagonally downwards to the bottom left of the display, before reading right to left again.